Stay up to date with our latest developments, initiatives, and new resources!
With a meeting in Victoria Falls Town, Zimbabwe, Africa will host the first of five regional meetings focused on the Sustainable Development Goals. Across these forums, IFLA will be working to make sure that governments, UN officials, experts and civil society groups hear about how libraries and access to information can play a transformative role in the Decade of Action.
The Declared Actions from the 10th meeting of the World Urban Forum, focusing on the role of culture and innovation in creating cities of opportunity, have underlined the contribution libraries can make to this goal as basic cultural services.
IFLA participated in the 10th World Urban Forum, bringing together mayors, professionals, civil society and UN agencies in order to explore how to build stronger, fairer and more sustainable communities. Libraries are a key part of the picture.
IFLA is attending the Commission on Social Development of the United Nations, highlighting how effective library services can make a difference in finding solutions to homelessness.
Interested cities and towns have until 25 June 2020 in order to submit their candidacies to be UNESCO World Book Capital 2020. IFLA encourages libraries to approach their local authorities to explore whether they can support a bid.
On 5-6 December 2019, the IFLA Government Libraries Section organised a conference on 'Informed Parliaments, Engaged Citizens, Effective Governments'. Participants from around the world explored the changing roles of information and decision-makers, and how libraries could help.
For many libraries, good relationships with local town halls and councils are essential. But as IFLA President Christine Mackenzie set out in interventions at the World Congress of Local and Regional Leaders, libraries can also be key partners for success.
At the Third Roundtable Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Libraries in Africa, IFLA Secretary General Gerald Leitner underlined the scope for libraries to deliver on the goals set out in the Africa 2063 and UN 2030 Agendas, and called on governments to seize the opportunity.
Today we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the current edition of the Public Library Manifesto. This document, agreed by IFLA and the Member States of UNESCO, places public libraries at the heart of efforts to promote education, democracy and participation in culture.
With only four days to go until the 25th Anniversary of the Public Library Manifesto, it’s the last moment to look at the tools and ideas IFLA has made available. With our advocacy pack, you can take the opportunity to celebrate the work and missions of public libraries.
Four years after its creation by UNESCO, the International Day for the Universal Access to Information has been formally added to the United Nations calendar. In a resolution passed by the General Assembly, Heads of State and government, and their representatives, agreed that 28 September should be the opportunity to recall, and celebrate, the importance of this for development and democracy.
As public spaces, open to all members of the community, libraries enable people to exercise and enjoy their human rights. A new report from the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights highlights this role, and the conditions for it to be realised. It provides a useful advocacy tool for libraries.
The Global Week of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) comes to an end today. Libraries have been active in marking the week, as well as in the work they are doing from day to day work to deliver on the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
In the negotiations that led to the agreement of the 2030 Agenda in September 2015, a group of global organisations including IFLA drove the #culture2015goal campaign. A new report looks at the progress on incorporating culture into the SDGs since then, and relaunches the campaign as #culture2030goal.
IFLA attended the session at the United Nations Climate Summit focused on heritage issues. With a strong focus both on the risks that climate heritage poses to all types of culture, but also the contribution that heritage can, in turn, make to our response, it was an opportunity to highlight the difference that libraries can make.
Limited access to research not only prevents people in many countries from contributing to the latest thinking and innovations, but also means that they cannot apply this knowledge in their own societies. We interviewed Latia Ward, from Cornell University, to find out about GOALI - an initiative aimed at providing a solution.
On the occasion of the United Nations International Literacy Day (September 8), IFLA has formally published the first version of the IFLA Toolkit for National Literacy and Reading Strategies.
At the 2019 High Level Political Forum, governments, UN officials and civil society representatives heard about the ways in which libraries can deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. Through two side-events, participation in a Voluntary National Review, and interventions in other sessions, IFLA’s team, including the President and Secretary-General, spoke up for our institutions.
In its second event at the High Level Political Forum, IFLA, with the kind support of the Argentine Mission to the United Nations, held a discussion about how to extend the success of the Buenos Aires Declaration to more countries, and around the world.