The Lyon Declaration on access to information and development

20 Nov 2014 01:00 PM

Socitm has signed The Lyon Declaration in support of worldwide access to and the sharing of information to enable social development. The Declaration currently has over 400 signatories. It was drafted by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) with a number of strategic partners and was launched in summer 2014. 

The Lyon Declaration is an advocacy document that will be used to positively influence the content of the United Nations post-2015 development agenda. It was drafted by IFLA and a number of strategic partners in the library and development communities between January and May 2014.

The Declaration states clearly that access to information supports development by empowering people to:

• Exercise their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights
• Learn and apply new skills
• Make decisions and participate in an active and engaged civil society
• Create community-based solutions to development challenges
• Ensure accountability, transparency, good governance, and empowerment
• Measure progress on public and private commitments on sustainable development.

Find out more about The Lyon Declaration 

Learn more about IFLA