International Association of Mountain Guides (French: Union Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes, abbreviated as UIAGM; English: International Federation of The International Mountain Guide Association (French: Union Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes, abbreviated as UIAGM; English: International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations, abbreviated as IFMGA; German: Internationale Vereinigung der Bergführerverbande, abbreviated as IVBV) is the world's authoritative mountaineering organization, founded in 1965, with strict admission criteria, requiring a country or region to have at least one mountain guide association. It requires a country or region to have at least 20 alpine guides who meet its requirements in order to be eligible to join the organization, so the organization has few member countries (currently only Japan and Nepal in Asia), and the professionalism is also very high.