History

IWTO was born out of an arbitration agreement signed between the representative bodies of the British and French wool textile industries, Bradford and Roubaix Tourcoing Chambers of Commerce, in 1924.

The agreement included the provision of holding an annual meeting between both parts, to discuss the evolution of the Treaty and other technical and economic issues regarding the wool sector. 

Congress Report cover of the 1928 International Wool Conference in ParisInternational Wool Conference, Paris, 1928After 1924, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Czechoslovakia joined the Arbitration Agreement and the subsequent annual meetings, called International Wool Conferences. These conferences allowed not only the debate about technical issues concerning the wool industry or the world’s economy in general, but also they allowed the leaders of the wool sector to meet each other, exchange points of views, practices and make contacts.

Hon. Founder-President: Maurice Dubrulle (France)As a result of the success of these International Wool Conferences, the French delegation presided by Maurice Dubrulle, proposed to create a permanent organism, charged of coordinating all the participating national committees, during the Wool International Conference held in Paris in 1928. This organism would, hence, provide the proper defence of their interests and their representation in international fora or economic organisations.

IWTO Statutes, 1930In 1930, the Statutes of the International Wool Textile Organisation were approved in the International Wool Conference held in Bradford, England, in September 1930. Its article 1 states that IWTO is an Association of Organisations interested in the production, commerce and industry of wool and allied fibres and their finished products. Its location was originally Bradford. These first statutes refer as IWTO's objectives the representation of the interests of the sector, liaison amongst its members, promotion of wool and gathering of statistical information and others about production, transformation and commerce of wool.These objectives are still present today in the IWTO's four pillars structure. The only requirement for becoming a member, further to be related to wool or any allied fibre, was the adhesion to the International Wool Textile Arbitration Agreement. The structure of IWTO was originally composed of a Council of Management – the executive agenda setter – a Management Committee, composed of a President, Vice-President from each country and a Treasurer, to assist the president in its administration.

 

IWTO's Presidents:

IWTO's Secretary General/ Director General:

IWTO's Congresses/Events