The IPA is governed by the General Assembly; the Executive Committee; the President and Vice-President; the Treasurer; and is administered by the Geneva-based Secretariat. IPA governance is based on a formal set of Statutes, and the three permanent Committees, which function according to agreed Guidelines.

Some IPA programs are made possible through the generous support of partners and sponsors whose values do not conflict with our core values and objectives. Selection of partners and sponsors is subject to due diligence processes overseen by the IPA’s Executive Committee to ensure the impartiality of the Association and its continued commitment to the values it upholds.

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of the Association, and is convened by the President at least once a year, usually during the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The General Assembly consists of Delegates from IPA's Full Members, who are normally appointed for a term of three years. IPA Affiliate and Associate Members may send non-voting observers to the meetings of the General Assembly.

The General Assembly defines the general strategy of the Association and elects the Directors serving on the Executive Committee, as well as other unpaid Officers, including the chairpersons of any working committee.

Committees

A number of committees, comprising representatives of IPA members, shape and steer the key policy issues of IPA.
There are three Permanent Committees, which work according to guidelines adopted by the General Assembly in April 2016.
They are:

Freedom to Publish Committee Guidelines Copyright Committee Guidelines Membership Committee Guidelines

Other member-led bodies are the Inclusive Publishing and Literacy Committee, the Educational Publishers Forum (Guidelines) and the Copyright Policy Working Group.