The International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD) is a global, not-for-profit scientific organisation committed to advancing child oral health through independent, evidence-based science, education, and international collaboration.
In accordance with its Constitution and its responsibilities as an independent scientific association, IAPD supports scientific and educational activities that are organised in line with recognised principles of transparency, independence, and public-interest governance. In this context, IAPD prioritises collaboration with officially registered not-for-profit scientific societies, academic institutions, and public-interest organisations that demonstrate accountability and appropriate separation between scientific content and commercial or publishing interests.
Organisational Values
IAPD is guided by the following principles when engaging in, supporting, or lending visibility to scientific events and educational initiatives:
- Independence of scientific content, with clear separation of education, clinical guidance, and health advocacy from commercial interests.
- Public-interest and non-profit governance, favouring collaboration with officially registered not-for-profit scientific societies, academic institutions, or comparable public-interest bodies.
- Transparency and accountability in organisational structure, funding sources, and decision-making.
- Editorial and educational independence, avoiding situations where events are exclusively organised by, or structurally dependent on, commercial entities or journal-based organisations operating without independent scientific governance.
- Avoidance of perceived endorsement, particularly where conflicts of interest may exist.
These principles are applied consistently and are informed by guidance from the World Health Organization and international bodies dedicated to ethical standards in scientific publishing and medical education.
In line with these principles, individuals serving in official IAPD roles are encouraged to exercise transparency in relation to external engagements, including appropriate disclosure of relevant relationships and clear distinction between personal activities and those representing IAPD, so as to safeguard the Association’s governance responsibilities.