The world bodies speaking for the publishing and library sectors, the International Publishers Association (IPA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), have pledged to find mechanisms for universal access to information, and to help national and international authorities to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals linked to literacy, education and reading.
In a joint statement, the first UNESCO International Day for Universal Access to Information, the IPA and the IFLA declare that access to information should be universal. Yet some groups face particular challenges in accessing information, notably people who are refugees, disabled, living in poverty, or who speak minority languages. The organisations will work together to find ways to ensure that people's personal circumstances do not create barriers to access.
The joint statement also celebrates the pivotal part played by libraries and publishers in providing the materials and environments that create and cultivate literacy, which is the key to access to information.
In order to realise the benefits of universal access to information, literacy is essential. Libraries and publishers perform decisive roles in developing the ability to read in the first place, and in promoting the media and information skills people need to truly benefit from what they read, hear, or see. Both IPA and IFLA strongly welcome and support the UN Secretary-General's call for universal literacy by 2030.
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