1. Introduction
   
 Welcome to the second electronic issue of AIDA Mail. AIDA Mail has been redesigned for the 21st Century, along with the AIDA Website - www.aida.org.uk. AIDA Mail is now circulated electronically to all AIDA Members and other interested parties who register their details via the website. This ensures that AIDA Mail is received instantaneously by all, wherever they are located.

In this issue we review the very successful 11th AIDA Quadrennial Congress in New York held on October 20-25, 2002, a major milestone for AIDA, and our first World Congress in the US.

The current President of AIDA, Professor Carlos Ignacio Jaramillo J and the immediate past president Mr Mikael Rosenmejer at the AIDA XI World Congress in New York, 20-25 October 2002.

Over 200 delegates attended and all 10 Active Working Parties held meetings at the World Congress, and summaries of their activities are included in this issue of AIDA Mail.

From our National Chapters, we are pleased to include an update on The British Insurance Law Association's (BILA) recent activities, an update on legal developments in the Czech Republic and on the important US Terrorism Risk Insurance Act 2002. Also, this issue of the newsletter includes more details about the forthcoming VIII Iberian Latin - American Congress in Rio de Janeiro on 30 April, 1-2 May 2003 organised by our Brazilian Chapter.

Finally, attention is drawn to the section at the end of this AIDA Mail entitled "How to contribute to AIDA Mail". AIDA Mail depends upon contributions from AIDA Chapters, Working Parties and individuals. All AIDA members are encouraged to contribute. Your contribution will reach a wide audience across the globe, and now, via the Internet, and will do much to publicise the very hard work that the AIDA Chapters undertake.