19 July 2019
From Buenos Aires to New York: Spreading the Message of Support for Libraries
In its second event of 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: Information for Development: Delivering on the Buenos Aires Declaration.
On 22 May 2019, in Buenos Aires, ministers and their representatives from thirteen countries at the Forum of Ministers of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean signed the Buenos Aires Declaration.
This underlined their commitment both to the Sustainable Development Goals, and to access to information as a means of achieving this. They also stressed the importance of libraries as partners for development, and promised to help them realise their potential in this this regards.
Thanks to the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations, IFLA was proud to be able to hold a discussion on next steps.
Building Understanding, Building Impact
Ambassador Martín García Moritán, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations
Glòria Pérez-Salmerón, IFLA President
Gabriela Agosto, Executive Secretary, National Coordinating Council for Social Policies, Argentina
Alejandro Santa, General Coordinating Director, Library of the Congress of the Argentine Nation
Gerald Leitner, IFLA Secretary General
The Declaration, he stressed, should be a starting point, both for further action within the region, and for similar efforts elsewhere in the world.
Inclusion, Empowerment, Democracy
In the following debate, the consensus was clear around the role of libraries as pillars of democratic life. With a strong focus on including and enabling everyone, their missions were well in line with the goal of the 2030 Agenda to leave no-one behind.
There fact that Latin American and Caribbean countries were getting involved was particularly important. The good practice already on show in Argentina’s libraries offered a valuable example to others of how libraries could contribute to creating fairer societies. Argentina’s Voluntary National Review in 2020 offered a particularly strong opportunity to highlight this work.
Information for Development: Delivering on the Buenos Aires Declaration
See more pictures of the event in our Flickr channel.