Former APA President John McIntyre, M.D., was elected the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) zonal representative for the United States. There are 18 zonal representatives that make up the board of the WPA. Most zones include several countries (there are 120 countries in the WPA), but because of the size of APA, the United States is the only country in Zone 2.

The task of the zonal rep is to represent the country (countries) of his/her zone, to bring issues from the zone to the board, and to bring issues and initiatives from the WPA to the country (countries) of the zone.

"My goals as zonal rep are to increase APA members' awareness of WPA initiatives and to bring to the board of WPA issues and positions of APA. One area that I plan on focusing on is quality initiatives," McIntyre told Psychiatric News. "I also plan on working with the representatives of the five zones of North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean to explore what joint ventures might be beneficial for our region of the world."

Another past APA President, Michelle Riba, M.D., was elected to the position of WPA secretary for publications. The position is a six-year term, and as a secretary Riba will serve on the Executive Committee of the WPA.

(The Executive Committee is composed of the officers of the WPA and the secretaries and meets every three months. The board is composed of the 18 zonal representatives, elected by the general assembly of member countries in the WPA.)

"The goals of the WPA publications program include editing and supporting publications of the WPA, including books, journals, and online publications," Riba said. "Other aims of the program include disseminating information about clinical, service, and research developments in the mental health field to the largest possible number of psychiatrists throughout the world and promoting and giving visibility to the highest quality of research and practice, involving psychiatrists from all WPA zones."

Donna Stewart, M.D., past chair of the APA Committee on Women, was elected zonal representative for Canada. "My goal as zone 1 rep for Canada is to improve collaboration between the Canadian Psychiatric Association [CPA] and the WPA," she said. "This is especially important in providing some of CPA's educational resources to low- and middle-income countries. We are also committed to improving the human rights and services for psychiatric patients internationally. As the world grows ever smaller through globalization, it is vital for North American psychiatrists to understand global challenges and contribute to effective interventions in mental health."