A technical meeting on strengthening health workforce information systems was held on 10–12 March 2010 in Montreux, Switzerland. The meeting was jointly convened by the World Health Organization’s Department of Human Resources for Health, the Global Health Workforce Alliance and the Health Metrics Network, who have called for the establishment of a Health Workforce Information Reference Group (HIRG). The aim of this first meeting of HIRG members and stakeholders was to initiate discussion on how to promote a coordinated, harmonized and standardized approach to strengthening country health workforce information and monitoring systems to support policy, planning and research. The meeting brought together 20 experts and leaders in health workforce information from Brazil, Kenya, Malawi, the Philippines, the Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and the United States of America, representing ministries of health, universities, global initiatives and partnerships, and United Nations agencies. (AU)