« Vice Chancellors of more than 50 Universities in India attend National Workshop on Graded Autonomy | Main | United Nations Secretary General Meets UN Messenger of Peace »
September 22, 2018
Kuala Lumpur named UNESCO World Book Capital 2020
Photo: A heritage building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has been named World Book Capital 2020. Image credit: Uwe Schwarzbach.
Photo: Library sign at the International University of Malaya-Wales, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has been named World Book Capital 2020. Image credit: Simon Haslett.
Paris, France — Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) has been named World Book Capital for the year 2020 by the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on the recommendation of the World Book Capital Advisory Committee.
UNESCO selected the city because of its strong focus on inclusive education, the development of a knowledge-based society and easy reading for all parts of the city’s population.
With the slogan “Caring through reading,” the program focuses on four themes: reading in all its forms, development of the book industry infrastructure, inclusiveness and digital accessibility, and empowerment of children through reading. Among other events and activities, there will be the construction of a book city (the Kota Buku Complex), a reading campaign for train commuters, enhancing of digital services and accessibility by the National Library of Malaysia for the disabled, and new digital services for libraries in 12 libraries in poor housing areas of Kuala Lumpur.
The city’s objective is to foster a culture of reading and inclusiveness - “A city that reads is a city that cares” - emphasizing ubiquitous access to books throughout the city. The city has linked the ambitious programme for World Book Capital to the Vision 2020 for Kuala Lumpur, and the eco-city project called the River of Life with open-air bookshops and libraries populating the newly-restored waterways of the city.
Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital undertake to promote books and reading and to organize activities over the year. As the twentieth city to bear the title since 2001, Kuala Lumpur follows Sharjah (2019), and Athens (2018). Past winners include Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Anvers (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogota (2007), Amsterdam (2008), Beirut (2009), Ljubljana (2010), Buenos Aires (2011), Erevan (2012), Bangkok (2013), Port Harcourt (2014), Incheon (2015), and Wroclaw (2016).
The application of the city of Kuala Lumpur was accepted by an Advisory Committee, comprising representatives of the International Publisher’s Association (IPA), the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and UNESCO.
Source: UNESCO, Paris.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:49 PM | Link to this Post
