The Board of Trustees is the executive body and operational arm of the ICO.
The ICO was established in 1857 in Brussels when 150 ophthalmologists from 24 countries met in the first International Congress of Ophthalmology.
The Advisory Board (executive body) was created in 1927 in Scheveningen, Netherlands Member societies were added (International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies) in 1933 in Madrid, Spain.
Prior to July 2008, International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) was the official name of the organization, with the ICO serving as the executive body.
Over time, "ICO" became better known than IFOS, leading to considerable confusion and a proposal to adopt a single name.