The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has endorsed the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Manifesto for Digital Libraries at its General Conference 2011. The Manifesto provides principles to assist libraries in undertaking sustainable and interoperable digitisation activities to bridge the digital divide - a key factor in achieving the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations.
IFLA President, Ingrid Parent, welcomed the endorsement. IFLA believes that access to information resources supports education and health as much as cultural and economic development. Information about the world's achievements allows all people to participate constructively in the development of their own social environment.
Promoting the free flow of ideas is also one of UNESCO's priorities. Janis Kārkliņš, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, stressed the importance of digital libraries within UNESCO mandate. He lauded the endorsement of the Manifesto as 'part of the efforts of UNESCO and its partnership with IFLA to develop strategies for the sharing of information'.
The IFLA Manifesto for Digital Libraries is seen to be an important instrument for achieving the objectives of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Many countries have already created national digitisation programmes, and more are expected to do so. IFLA strongly supports and encourages both national and international digitisation strategies as well as single library and partnership initiatives.
The Manifesto was initiated by former IFLA President Claudia Lux (2007-2009). Prior to UNESCO's endorsement, it was approved by the IFLA Governing Board in 2010 and by the UNESCO intergovernmental programme Information for All (IFAP) in February 2011.
The endorsement enables IFLA members to work with UNESCO Member States within the context of national e-strategies aimed at increasing access to information and development. It provides IFLA members with a stronger foundation on which to lobby for and to implement digitisation activities.
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