The Toy Association’s Chief Policy Officer Kathrin Belliveau joined nearly 30 representatives of national toy trade associations from around the world for the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI) Annual General Meeting, held May 6 to 8 in Amsterdam.

Over the course of the three-day summit, attendees worked collaboratively to strengthen international alliances and elevate the collective voice of the global toy industry. Countries represented included the U.S., Australia/New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, Brussels, the UK, France, Austria, Netherlands, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Spain.

Discussions focused on pressing issues currently impacting the toy industry across international markets. As the U.S. representative, Belliveau presented sessions titled "Safety Concerns with Counterfeit Toys from Online Platforms" and "The Value of Play," in honor of the United Nations International Day of Play, in addition to speaking on topics including AI-enabled toys, trade and tariffs, and extended producer responsibility (EPR). Additional discussions covered toy safety regulations in the European Union.

Speakers included Frederique Tutt, vice president & global industry advisor of toys at Circana, who delivered the annual ICTI Global Market Report, and Christian Wetterberg, senior director of product safety & compliance at The LEGO Group, who presented an update on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) activities. In addition, Carmel Giblin, president & CEO of the Ethical Supply Chain Program, provided an update on the organization and its family-friendly and worker well-being initiatives across global supply chains.

“In a rapidly evolving global marketplace, maintaining strong international relationships and a unified industry voice has never been more important,” Belliveau said. “The Toy Association is proud to play a leadership role in these international discussions, helping ensure the voice of the U.S. toy industry is represented while working alongside our global partners to address shared challenges, exchange perspectives, and advocate for aligned international standards.”

The Toy Association™ is the secretariat for ICTI. Members may reach out to The Toy Association’s Kathrin Belliveau with any questions.