This feels like a timely update as I am ending my first term (2017-2020) and about to start my second (2020-2023) as chair of ATSA’s International Committee. The International Committee has achieved a lot over the past 3 years including:

• The re-establishment of a committee (which has 11 members from 10 countries) that talk via email (as conference calling is a logistical/time zone nightmare);
• An international panel at the annual ATSA conference;
• An increase in international and transnational papers, workshops, and panels at the ATSA, NOTA, and ANZATSA conferences;
• An increase in blogs from international members which comment on international and/or transnational issues; 
• An increased focus on international perspectives on other ATSA committees; and
  
• A number of internationally focused publications including a special edition of the IATSO journal Sexual Offender Treatment last year and this edition of the ATSA Forum. 

None of this could be done without the support of ATSA and the tireless work of the committee members!

ATSA is an international organization. Although based in and rooted in the USA, slightly more than 10% of its membership comes from non-USA countries, which means that the international committee has an important role to play in the development of the organization and the impact of its research and practice. The international committee will be looking to work with other ATSA committees, and those of its sister organizations, to cross-pollinate ideas, to make sure that current, as well as emerging, work has an international flavour to it, and that existing work is accessible to non-American ATSA members. As you will see in Part 1 of the ATSA international members’ survey in this issue, having access to up-to-date international research and practice in their mother tongue is a massive issue for non-Anglophone ATSA members and, therefore, this is something the international committee wants to tackle in the coming years. It is important that there is consistency in training and access to resources for all ATSA members regardless of their geographical location or capability to speak English; it will be a challenge, but a worthwhile one.

Over the next few months, the International Committee will be reaching out to international ATSA members to see what resources they want access to so that we can start to build a relevant and fit-for-purpose library. In addition to published pieces we also need to think about how ATSA conference material can be accessed by all members, but especially international members who find it particularly difficult to attend because of cost and distance. The role of the committee, as you can see, is not only to make ATSA members aware of international research and practice, but to make ATSA research and practice accessible to international members.

If you would like to join the international committee, please do email me, or if you will be at the annual conference in Atlanta, please come up and say hello.