United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a primary international promoter involved in the development of library and information services worldwide. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, its mission is to promote international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication, serving as a clearinghouse for the dissemination and sharing of knowledge.
Foundational Role and Mandate
UNESCO’s role as a promoter of libraries is embedded in its constitution, which mandates the organization to:
- Maintain, increase, and diffuse knowledge by ensuring the conservation and protection of the world's inheritance of books and recommending necessary international conventions.
- Encourage international cooperation in all intellectual activities, including the exchange of publications and other informational materials.
- Initiate methods of international cooperation to give people of all countries access to printed and published materials.
Setting Standards and Policies through Manifestos and Charters
UNESCO has been instrumental in creating and promoting foundational policy documents that guide the development of libraries globally, often in collaboration with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
- Public Library Manifesto (2022): The original 1994 manifesto was updated in July 2022. This new version reinforces UNESCO's belief in the public library as a "living force for education, culture, inclusion and information" and an "essential agent for sustainable development." It continues to encourage national and local governments to support and finance public libraries through specific legislation and outlines key missions for public libraries related to information, literacy, education, and culture, while also addressing contemporary issues such as the digital divide and the need for inclusivity for marginalized groups.
- School Library Manifesto (2025): An updated version of the 1999 manifesto was formally approved at the 13th session of the IFAP Council on April 24, 2025. The 2025 manifesto reflects technological advances and the increasing presence of technology in schools, presenting a joint vision of how school libraries can enhance teaching and learning for the entire school community.
- UNESCO Charter on the Preservation of the Digital Heritage: Recognizing that an increasing amount of the world's cultural and educational resources are "born-digital" (e.g., electronic journals, web pages), this charter was adopted to create an international consensus on the collection, preservation, and dissemination of this new form of documentary heritage.
Key Programmes for Information Access and Development
UNESCO has launched several major programmes to build information infrastructure, especially in developing countries.
- Information for All Programme (IFAP): Since 2001, IFAP has been UNESCO's flagship programme for promoting universal access to information and knowledge. The program has a strategic plan for 2023-2029. It strives to overcome the "digital divide" by addressing the needs of marginalized groups. IFAP's core objectives are to:
- Promote debate on the ethical, legal, and societal challenges of the information society, including those related to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- Widen access to information in the public domain through organization, digitization, and preservation.
- Support training and lifelong learning in communication and informatics.
- Promote information literacy as a means to empower people to effectively seek, evaluate, use, and create information.
- Encourage information accessibility by addressing issues like multilingualism, open source software, and open content.
Preservation of Documentary and Cultural Heritage
A cornerstone of UNESCO's work is the preservation of global heritage.
- Memory of the World Programme: Established in 1992, this programme aims to protect, preserve, and provide universal access to the world's documentary heritage, especially collections endangered by natural or man-made disasters. As of April 2025, the International Register had 570 pieces of documentary heritage inscribed. In collaboration with bodies like IFLA and the International Council on Archives (ICA), UNESCO acts as a coordinator and catalyst, sensitizing governments and supporting pilot projects that use technology to reproduce heritage documents. The program has also faced new challenges, such as the politicization of certain inscriptions, which led to a revision of its guidelines.
Development and Distribution of Information Tools
UNESCO continues to play a direct role in creating and distributing essential software tools, particularly valuable for libraries in developing countries.
- CDS/ISIS: A generalized information storage and retrieval software package for database management, developed, maintained, and disseminated free-of-charge by UNESCO.
- IDAMS: A free software package for the processing and statistical analysis of numerical data, also developed and distributed by UNESCO.
- Greenstone Digital Library Software (GSDL): UNESCO collaborates in the development and distribution of GSDL, an open-source software for building and distributing digital library collections.
Other Major Initiatives
- Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs): This international initiative promotes community empowerment and helps bridge the digital divide by combining local community radio with telecentre facilities like computers and Internet access.
- Platform to Enhance the Sustainability of the Information Society Transglobally (PERSIST): An initiative that arose from the Memory of the World Conference in 2012, PERSIST focuses on long-term digital preservation. It operates through three task forces (policy, technology, and content) to address the challenges of preserving digital heritage and ensure its long-term accessibility.
- Dive into Heritage: A new initiative, funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, that leverages digital technologies to safeguard and promote World Heritage sites by creating a platform with 3D models, interactive maps, and audio-visual material to make cultural and natural heritage accessible to everyone.