Global information sharing.

• Author: Kinney, Anne Spray
• Position: [from the editors]

In carrying out its mission to "enhance and promote the professional management of governments for the public benefit," GFOA does not confine itself to the United States and Canada. Best practices in government financial management can be found across the globe, and we have a duty to seek out innovation wherever it exists and share it, with you, our members.

To this end, GFOA has established cooperation agreements with Israel, Sweden, South Africa, and Thailand. Delegations from these and a number of other countries have attended our conferences, and we theirs. Senior finance officials from China and Mexico have visited our headquarters to learn more about GFOA's role in the public finance profession. In short, interaction with our counterparts in other countries is becoming ever more frequent.

GFOA members and staff have come away from these meetings with new ideas on how to serve the membership, as well as a greater appreciation for both the challenges and innovations of governments in foreign lands. Likewise, our visitors have shared with us many anecdotes about how GFOA's programs have led to improvements in their respective countries.

The ongoing information sharing between GFOA and finance officials in other countries spawned the idea for this issue of Government Finance Review. In it you will find articles about public finance trends and...