IFLA’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Division Committee (IFLA MENA RDC) organised a webinar ‘Libraries in the Plans of the Sustainable Development Goals’, with the Cluster leader, 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordinator as the main speaker from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA).

IFLA’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Division Committee organized a webinar related to the SDGs on 15 December 2022, which was attended by 134 participants. The purpose of the webinar was to introduce the SDGs, their relation to libraries, and samples of libraries in the MENA Region that have implemented projects that support the SDGs and have submitted Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).

Speakers & Programme

Main speaker was Ms. Maissa Youssef, Cluster Leader, 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordinator, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA).

In her paper, Ms. Youssef addressed the latest developments and statistics in the implementation of sustainable development goals in the MENA region based on the Sustainable Development Goals 2020 report, which is available through the link arabsdgmonitor.unescwa.org/. Twenty-one Arab States have already submitted their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and reports to date at the UNESCWA annual forum on sustainable development goals in Arab countries.

The following three presentations were presented by Ms. Latifa Al-Amry, Information Specialist-Qatar National Library (QNL) who spoke about the activities that QNL has carried out with the community that touch on numerous SDG goals.

Subsequently, Mr. Elie Kahale, Director of Digital Initiatives and Scholarship at the American University of Beirut (AUB), discussed the AUB Libraries Digital Initiatives in support of SDGs in digital preservation of heritage and open access Initiatives.

The final speaker, Mrs. Amel bin Maad, Library Director of the Public Library in Khama Market in Tunisia, shared a unique experience where they established a digital literacy club for the elderly.

In closing, the speakers and participants agreed that much more should be done by libraries in the region, as well as to increase collaboration among libraries primarily, then with the civil community and government entities.

The session was moderated by Randa Al Chidiac, Member of IFLA’s MENA RDC and Dr. Imad Bachir, Chair of IFLA’s MENA RDC.

Watch the recording

Read more about IFLA’s Middle East and North Africa, their news, events and plans: ifla.org/units/middle-east-and-north-africa-regional-division/