International Association for Orthopaedic Shoe Technicians (IVO) promotes the international cooperation of pedorthics. In doing so it fulfills the following functions:

• Performance of international specialist conferences, specialist exhibitions and competitions
• Promotion of cross-border specialist contacts
• Joint efforts to achieve a tight cooperation with medical specialists, associations of para-medical professions as well as with national and international institutions for the prevention and rehabilitation in the area of orthopedics
• Joint efforts to achieve harmonization in educational and examination sector and standardization of the profession
• Exchange of experience in specialist area
• Promotion of interchange of staff
• Measures to overcome language barriers
• Establishing contacts for the professional unification world-wide
• Support of third-world countries in all issues of the treatment with orthopedic aids and appliances, especially in the education or further education of suitable juniors of the profession