The IMA is the world’s largest organization promoting mineralogy. It is an association of 36 national mineralogical societies. 

The role of IMA is to further international cooperation in the mineralogical sciences. It does so through its commissions and working groups which bring together scientists to coordinate activities and to develop common standards in various sub-disciplines of mineralogy. One of its most important tasks is to oversee mineral nomenclature and classification, through the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclatures and Classification.

Every four years one of its member societies organizes an IMA General Meeting to bring together mineralogists from all over the world.