The Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques (FIAV) is an international federation of 52 regional, national, and multinational vexillological associations and institutions across the globe. The translations of FIAV’s French name into the other three official FIAV languages are the International Federation of Vexillological Associations (English), the Internationale Föderation Vexillologischer Gesellschaften (German), and the Federación Internacional de Asociaciones Vexilológicas (Spanish).
FIAV unites those associations and institutions throughout the world whose object is the pursuit of vexillology, which is the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge. FIAV’s purposes are: to create a strong bond among those associations and institutions and to encourage and coordinate their work, studies, and research; to promote the organization of International Congresses of Vexillology and to lend its support to their organizers; to encourage the creation in all countries of associations and institutions dedicated to vexillology; and to sanction international standards facilitating the development of these activities.
FIAV was provisionally organized on September 3, 1967 at the Second International Congress of Vexillology held in Rüschlikon, Switzerland and officially created on September 7, 1969, at the Third International Congress of Vexillology held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Since 1969, FIAV has sponsored the biennial International Congresses of Vexillology that have been held in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
FIAV has a three-person Board consisting of a President, Secretary-General, and Secretary-General for Congresses. The Board manages the current affairs of FIAV and convenes the biennial sessions of the General Assembly, which are held during each International Congress of Vexillology. The FIAV General Assembly is composed of a delegate from each of FIAV’s 52-member vexillological associations and institutions. The General Assembly elects the Board and is responsible for setting policy.
FIAV Board
MICHEL R. LUPANT, C.O.C., C.C.O.M., K.C.M. R.C.I.H., F.C.V.S., Belgium,
President
CHARLES A. SPAIN, Jr., U.S.A.,
Secretary-General
GRAHAM M.P. BARTRAM, F.F.I., U.K.,
Secretary-General for Congresses
International Congresses of Vexillology
| Congress | City | Dates | Sponsor |
| ICV 1 | Muiderberg, Noord-Holland, Netherlands | 4-5 Sept 1965 | Stichting voor Banistiek en Heraldik |
| ICV 2 | Zürich, Switzerland | 1-3 Sept 1967 | Gilde der Züricher Heraldiker and Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Fahnen- und Flaggenkunde | Sociétée Suisse de Veillologie | Società Svizzera di Vessillologia |
| ICV 3 | Boston, Massaschusetts, USA | 5-7 Sept 1969 | Flag Research Center / Heraldry Society of Canada / NAVA / U.S. Flag Foundation |
| ICV 4 | Torino, Piedmonte, Italy | 24-27 June 1971 | Accademia di San Marciano Sezione Vessillologica |
| ICV 5 | London, England, UK | 13-18 Sept 1973 | The Flag Institute |
| ICV 6 | IJsselmeer, Flevoland, Netherlands | 16-20 Apr 1975 | Stichting voor Banistiek en Heraldik |
| ICV 7 | Washington, D.C., USA | 10-14 June 1977 | Flag Research Center / NAVA |
| ICV 8 | Vienna, Austria | 26-29 June 1979 | Gesellschaft für Österreichische Heereskunde |
| ICV 9 | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 24-28 Aug 1981 | Flag Research Center / Heraldry Society of Canada / NAVA |
| ICV 10 | Oxford, England, UK | 25-30 Sept 1983 | Heraldry Society Flag Section |
| ICV 11 | Madrid, Spain | 26-31 May 1985 | Sociedad Española de Vexillología |
| ICV 12 | San Francisco, California, USA | 12-16 Aug 1987 | Flag Research Center / NAVA |
| ICV 13 | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | 24-29 Sept 1989 | Flag Society of Australia |
| ICV 14 | Barcelona, Spain | 30 June-5 July 1991 | Associació Catalana de Vexillología |
| ICV 15 | Zürich, Switzerland | 23-27 Aug 1993 | Gilde der Züricher Heraldiker and Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Fahnen- und Flaggenkunde | Sociétée Suisse de Veillologie | Società Svizzera di Vessillologia |
| ICV 16 | Warsaw, Poland | 1-5 July 1995 | Centrum Flagi Ziemi / Earth Flag Centre, Flag Design Center, and Polskie Towarzystwo Weksylologizne |
| ICV 17 | Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa | 10-16 August 1997 | South African Vexillological Association |
| ICV 18 | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | 28 July-2 Aug 1999 | Canadian Flag Association | L'Association canadienne de vexillologie / NAVA |
| ICV 19 | York, England, UK | 23-27 July 2001 | The Flag Institute |
| ICV 20 | Stockholm, Sweden | 25-30 Aug 2003 | Nordisk Flaggselskap | Nordisk Flagselskab | Nordiska Flaggsällskapet | Norræna Fánafélagið | Pohjoismaiden Lippuseura |
| ICV 21 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 30 Jul-6 Aug 2005 | Asociación Argentina de Vexilología / Fundación Centro Interdisciplinaro de Estudios Culturales |
| ICV 22 | Berlin, Germany | 6-10 Aug 2007 | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flaggenkunde e.V. / Deutsches Historisches Museum |
| ICV 23 | Yokohama, Japan | 12-17 July 2009 | Japanese Vexillological Association |