IFLA Headquarters joined partners from UNESCO representing civil society and beyond at the 16th International Forum of NGOs in Official Partnership with UNESCO. This was held in person from 15‐16 April 2024 in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) with the theme, “Sustainable Cultures”.

Organised by the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee in cooperation with UNESCO, the forum explored how different stakeholders can contribute to the achievement of a stand-alone goal on culture in the post-2030 agenda.

Advocating Beyond the Culture Sector

 

IFLA joined partners from the Culture 2030 Goal Campaign to introduce our zero-draft of a culture specific goal to the delegates. The session opened with advice on advocacy around this zero-draft – highlighting in particular ways to connect culture to broader sustainable development goals and raise awareness of its importance to policymakers outside of the culture sector.

IFLA took the floor to make a case for connecting culture to digital inclusion goals. IFLA’s presentation

Adama Kone addresses the NGO Forum on behalf of Ivorian libraries

highlighted the cultural aspects of the digital divide, especially as it intersects with gender biases. IFLA also noted that meaningful access to information requires access to cultural expressions, knowledge, and information that is representative of a diversity of cultures and languages.

It was excellent to be joined in this conversation by UNESCO partners representing the Cultural Policy and Development Unit, as well as the Unit for Civil Society Partnerships. IFLA deeply values the relationships we are able to built with our colleagues from UNESCO.

The Zero-Draft

To advance with concrete steps towards a culture goal in the post-2030 development framework, the Campaign introduced the zero-draft, which was launched in 2022. Speakers highlighted the potential targets, and connected them to the broad interests of the culture sector and its transversal impact on development.

Explore the zero-draft yourself! This is meant to be the beginning of a conversation, so everyone is welcome to use the Campaign’s tools to further this conversation in your networks.

Connecting with IFLA Members

Mr. Adama Kone, Head of the Documentation and Archives Department at the National Assembly of

Côte d’Ivoire, and Past President of the Association pour la Premotion des Sciences de l’Information Documentaire en Cote d’Ivoire (APSID-CI) spoke to the challenges facing libraries in Côte d’Ivoire and in many French-speaking African countries.

IFLA meeting with members of APSID-CI

Recognition of the benefits libraries deliver to society, adequate budgeting to enable them to fulfil their potential, and greater inclusion of francophone African library professionals in international librarianship are all necessary urgent actions.

IFLA also had the pleasure of meeting members of the leadership team of the APSID-CI. We visited the L’Institut National Supérieur des Arts et de l’Action Culturelle (INSAAC), where we met and spoke with local students of library and information and archival sciences.

IFLA urges our members to connect with local library and information science students, highlighting the benefits of international librarianship and incorporating their perspectives and needs in your advocacy work.

 

We thank our colleagues from APSID-CI and INSAAC for the kind and welcoming hospitality!