Joint Kosovo Libraries Mission of Unesco, CoE and IFLA/FAIFE

PRESS RELEASE : for immediate release
February 16, 2000
IFLA/FAIFE Office

Joint Kosovo Libraries Mission of Unesco, CoE and IFLA/FAIFE

The UN Security Council Resolution 1244 entrusts the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) with "performing basic civilian administrative functions" and "organizing and overseeing the development of provisional institutions for democratic and autonomous self governance" in Kosovo.

In order to prepare an assessment of the situation concerning libraries and to establish rehabilitation guidelines UNESCO, the Council of Europe (CoE) and IFLA/FAIFE are sending an expert mission to the main cities of Kosovo. In the period from February 25th to March 5th Mr. Frode Bakken, County Librarian of Buskerud, Norway (former president of the Norwegian Library Association) and Mr. Carsten Frederiksen, Deputy director of the IFLA/FAIFE Office in Copenhagen, Denmark, will visit libraries in all major regions of Kosovo.

IFLA is concerned with the role of libraries in building and sustaining democracy. One of the prime priorities within the work of FAIFE is to: "Promote freedom of access to information and freedom of expression as fundamental human rights, which are cornerstones vital to the mission of libraries and librarians in providing access to knowledge in support of human rights, peace, democracy and development".

Unesco and CoE support the mission both financially and in terms of logistics. UNESCO has established consultant contracts with Mr. Bakken and Mr. Frederiksen and helps organize the mission in Kosovo, in close co-operation with the UNMIK Civil Administration in Pristina. Likewise the Secretariat Office of CoE in Pristina will assist the mission in practical matters. Furthermore, the mission has received generous financial support from the librarians' organisations in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. These organisations provide funding for translations, interpretation, local transportation, accommodation etc.

To prepare an assessment of the situation concerning archives UNESCO, the CoE and the International Council on Archives (ICA) in December 1999 organised a parallel expert mission to Kosovo, carried out by Mr. Bruce Jackson, County Archivist, Lancashire Records Office, Preston, UK. The libraries mission, based on similar conditions and with similar terms of reference, will be relating to the experiences obtained by Mr. Jackson.

The Kosovo Libraries Mission will be covering all categories of libraries and has the following terms of reference:

• Assess the present situation of libraries in Kosovo, including an assessment of the destruction and damages of libraries;
• Assess the situation in the area of library management in existing administrations;
• Assess the legal situation related to library management;
• Advise on short- and medium-term measures to be taken to ensure adequate legal coverage of library and intellectual freedom issues; taking into account the importance of libraries as local gateways to knowledge, promoting equal access and reflecting the plurality and diversity of society and as instruments to support the process of democratisation;
• Advise on the inclusion of library management components in rehabilitation programmes;
• Make recommendations on measures to be undertaken to safeguard endangered libraries and to reconstruct a functioning library system in Kosovo.
• Submit to UNESCO, not later than March 31, 2000 a report of the mission to Kosovo including;
  1. a general assessment of the situation;
  2. a plan for immediate action including recommendations for action addressed to UNESCO and UNMIK;
  3. recommendations to UNMIK to adequately cover library issues in reconstruction projects;
  4. a list of several small projects for immediate improvement of the situation;
  5. a mid-term development plan for consolidation of the situation.

FAIFE (Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) is the instrument of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to promote intellectual freedom and the vital mission of libraries as gateways to knowledge and ideas. FAIFE advocates intellectual freedom in all aspects related to libraries and librarianship. FAIFE was launched in 1997 and consists of a Committee and an Office. The Committee has 29 members nominated by national library associations from almost all parts of the world.

IFLA / FAIFE Office

c/o Copenhagen Department of Culture
Islands Brygge 37
DK 2300 Copenhagen S.
Denmark
Phone +45-33 66 46 37 or +45-33 66 46 27
Mobile: +45 20 26 77 30
Fax +45-33 66 70 64

E-mail: faife@ifla.org