Among all pathogens of public health concern, influenza virus is unique and somewhat notorious for its ability to constantly evolve and to rapidly spread; its potential for catastrophic impact and its ubiquitous presence in wild and domestic animals. The only way to address such a serious challenge is by timely and effective global collaboration. One such collaboration began 65 years ago: the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN), just 4 years after the WHO constitution had came into force