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The UN Secretary-General has released a Policy Brief offering a first idea of the principles, objectives and recommendations that could feature in the Global Digital Compact. This includes some welcome steps for libraries, but there remain areas needing clarification in order to ensure that it reflects the needs of libraries and their users.
IFLA has joined Creative Commons and Europeana in signing an open letter to European lawmakers, underlining that proposals to impose fees on companies and institutions that share content online pose a real threat to libraries and others in their work to enforce cultural rights.
In the light of regular reports of limitations on libraries' ability freely to build and maintain collections to respond to the needs of communities, IFLA President Barbara Lison has made the following statement
There are a number of ways in which libraries can engage with the concept of digital public goods, which has become more and more prominent in discussions about about the future of internet governance, and development in general. This briefing explains what they are, and why they are relevant.
With five reports from national implementations of UNESCO's Internet Universality Indicators now published, it's a good time to see what library roles in supporting internet inclusion are recognised. This article explores these, and calls for closer engagement in libraries in future implementation efforts.
The coming two years will be important ones in the history of international internet governance, providing a number of key opportunities to underline what libraries need in order to fulfil their missions. The 2023 UN Committee on Science and Technology for Development provided an opportunity to set out next steps.
While we have seen major progress in extending connectivity, are we doing so well in ensuring that everyone has the skills, confidence and access to content necessary to realise the potential of the internet to drive development? Not yet, but libraries can help.
With key copyright decision-makers meeting this week in Geneva at WIPO, we are happy to follow up on our report with an overview of country-by-country implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty with an analysis of the data as a whole. This demonstrates both the effectiveness of international action in driving national change, and the fact that most countries have sought to maximise the possibilities created to provide access for persons with print disabilities.
Following our participation in the UNESCO Internet4Trust conference, IFLA has now submitted comments on UNESCO's draft Guidelines on Platform Regulation. In addition to welcoming the balance found in the document, we also propose improvements, including readier recognition of libraries' role in a healthy internet.
At a major global conference exploring how to update regulation of internet platforms as part of wider efforts to rebuild trust in the internet, Dilara Begum, on behalf of IFLA, highlighted the value of upholding freedom of expression and access to information, and the practical contribution libraries can make to this goal.
The World Day of Social Justice, celebrated on 20 February, focuses on the need to ensure that everyone has the rights and resources to fulfil their potential. Born out of the work of the International Labour Organisation, it now touches on a wide range of the factors that determine people’s ability to enjoy their rights.
IFLA has made a submission to a call by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression for evidence around the link between this freedom and sustainable development. This highlights the importance of freedom of access to information, and the role of libraries in making this meaningful and universal.
In the latest of our series of looks ahead on different policy areas, we turn to the internet and wider digital world. Given both our own reliance on technology, as well as its impact on the achievement of wider library goals, evolutions in this space are particularly relevant for our own field to consider.
IFLA was active at the 2022 Internet Governance Forum, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, speaking both in UNESCO sessions on Internet Universality Indicators, and the Dynamic Coalition on Public Access in Libraries session on inclusive internet governance.
IFLA was present at the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education, held on 14-16 November 2022 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. With around 1500 delegates, it provided an opportunity for ministers, officials and experts to share updates and ideas. Thanks to engagement by IFLA's representative, Marianne Martens, Chair of the Section on Library Services to Children and Young Adults, libraries were recognised in the resulting Tashkent Declaration for their role in supporting early years care.
At the weekend, the world marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities - the 30th anniversary of the celebration. With a future-orientated theme - the role of innovation - it is nonetheless also an opportunity to remember the need to get the basics right, not least the right of access to information. IFLA encouraged those working with providing this access to help us update our Marrakesh Monitoring Report.
The latest report from the Dynamic Coalition on Public Access in Libraries, led by IFLA and EIFL, brings together key resources that explain the difference that public access in libraries can make, as well as offering hints and insights that can help drive evaluation of similar efforts.
IFLA attended a meeting of the UNESCO World Book Capital Network in Wroclaw, Poland, on 22-23 September, bringing the perspective of the global library field as the participating cities formally signed the Network charter, and made plans for future actions.
Drawing on contributions from colleagues from across the global library field, IFLA has shared its answers to the survey run by the United Nations as part of its Global Digital Compact initiative. This submission is available to read and review.
In the first of an occasional series about how national library associations are addressing questions around freedom of access to information and freedom of expression, we asked the Italian Library Association (AIB) about their experiences, and the lessons they can share.