[Irtalk] Fwd: [IFLA-L] IFLA response to the United Nations Financing for Development “Addis Ababa Action Agenda”

[Hilton Gibson]

FYI.

*Hilton Gibson*
Ubuntu Linux Systems Administrator
Stellenbosch University Library
http://staff.lib.sun.ac.za/~hgibson/docs/cv/cv.html


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Julia Brungs <Julia.Brungs at ifla.org>
Date: 20 July 2015 at 16:12
Subject: [IFLA-L] IFLA response to the United Nations Financing for
Development “Addis Ababa Action Agenda”
To: "ifla-l at infoserv.inist.fr" <ifla-l at infoserv.inist.fr>


 Dear all,



The United Nations Third International Conference on Financing for
Development
<http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ffd3/press-release/countries-reach-historic-agreement.html>
(FfD3)
was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 13-16 July. 193 UN Member States
attended the Conference and agreed on the “Addis Ababa Agenda for Action
<http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/CONF.227/L.1>” (AAAA),
which aims to provide a foundation for implementing the post-2015
development agenda that world leaders are expected to adopt this September.



*Science, Technology and Innovation*

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
(IFLA) welcomes the “Addis Ababa Agenda for Action
<http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/CONF.227/L.1>” (AAAA).
In particular, we are pleased to see the inclusion of an online knowledge
platform to provide information about science, technology and innovation to
ensure that governments, parliamentarians, local authorities, local
communities, civil society, the private sector and individuals can access
the information they need to transform their own societies. IFLA recognises
the value and potential of such a platform to underpin and support access
to information by all stakeholders to understand their role in supporting
the UN post-2015 development agenda and opportunities to document and
measure progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.



We welcome the opportunity to partner with stakeholders to support the
development of the platform. IFLA is ready to share expertise through our
members and partners across the information sector including advice and
standards to advance the platform. We also wish to be included as a key
partner in the development of the platform from the outset.



Specifically, we commend the United Nations for recommending a platform
that will provide open access to research:

*“The online platform will facilitate access to information, knowledge and
experience, as well as best practices and lessons learned, on science,
technology and innovation facilitation initiatives and policies. The online
platform will also facilitate the dissemination of relevant open access
scientific publications generated worldwide.”*



*The importance of Open Access*

We encourage UN Member States to develop strategies that will further
advance access to research such as mandates for publicly-funded research to
be made available open access, national repositories, and improved public
access to Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and broadband.
Improved ICT infrastructure can be used to expand communications, speed up
delivery of services and provide access to crucial information particularly
in remote communities. Libraries use ICT to bridge the gap between national
policy and local implementation to ensure that the benefits of development
reach all. This is clearly outlined in the WSIS Action Lines, especially C3
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/c3/>, and in the recommendations made by the WSIS+10
Review HLE Outcome Document, 2014 <http://www.ifla.org/node/8666?og=7407>.



Libraries play an essential role in open access developments by their
expertise in building infrastructure, in creating user-friendly services of
high quality and in securing long-term access. IFLA has and will continue
to work with global organizations and fora such as UN, UNESCO, WHO, FAO,
WIPO, WSIS and othersin promoting and advocating open access
<http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/hq/news/documents/ifla-statement-on-open-access.pdf>
to
publicly funded research, educational resources and cultural heritage.



*Lyon Declaration - IFLA ready to support*

We are ready to support utilization and understanding of the new knowledge
platform by all stakeholders. Libraries and other information
intermediaries, as outlined in the Lyon Declaration on Access to
Information and Development <http://www.lyondeclaration.org/>, provide
information on basic rights and entitlements, public services, environment,
health, education, work opportunities, and public expenditure that supports
local communities and people to guide their own development. The objectives
for the platform are directly aligned with the services and information
that libraries provide.



However, IFLA shares the concerns of the Transparency, Accountability &
Participation (TAP) Network that the AAAA needed to do more to provide
explicit and concrete commitments to implement open data and transparency
initiatives, and to recognise the importance of third-party and
citizen-generated data for planning, implementation, and accountability for
sustainable development commitments, at all levels.



IFLA will continue to engage at the post-2015 Development Agenda
negotiations in July <http://www.ifla.org/node/9703>.



Please see the webversion <http://www.ifla.org/node/9702>.



Julia Brungs

Policy and Projects Officer

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

P.O. Box 95312
2509 CH The Hague
Netherlands

Phone: 0031703140884

Email: Julia.brungs at ifla.org
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