The problems associated with earwitness lineups, or voice parades, are of growing concern. First, they are becoming more common; second, they are being conducted by individuals who are not competent to carry them out; third, no adequate criteria for their proper use have been published. In response, the membership of the International Association of Forensic Phonetics have undertaken to review the specific elements associated with this problem, identify their nature/extent and establish criteria for their proper construction and use. The first stage has been to present a series of formal papers on the subject (see text) and the second to provide this summary review of the problem and its background. The third stage has been to constitute an IAFP working committee charged with the development of a set of criteria for consideration by the full membership at the 1995 conference (Orlando, Florida). If the IAFP membership adopts these criteria, they will be published. Finally, the members of this new committee are A. P. A. Broeders (Netherlands), P. French (UK) , H. Hollien (USA), R. Huntley (USA) and H. Kunzel (Germany).