(IFLA/FAIFE/IFEX) – The following is an IFLA/FAIFE media release: Intellectual freedom in Cuba “Once again, IFLA urges the Cuban government to eliminate obstacles to access to information imposed by its policies”, says the Chair of the IFLA/FAIFE Committee, Mr Alex Byrne. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and its Committee on Freedom […]
(IFLA/FAIFE/IFEX) – The following is an IFLA/FAIFE media release:
Intellectual freedom in Cuba
“Once again, IFLA urges the Cuban government to eliminate obstacles to access to information imposed by its policies”, says the Chair of the IFLA/FAIFE Committee, Mr Alex Byrne.
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and its Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (IFLA/FAIFE) expressed their deepest concerns today about the arrest, trial and long prison sentences given to Cuban political dissidents in recent weeks.
According to Human Rights Watch reports, approximately 80 people have been arrested and detained, “including prominent dissidents, human rights activists, independent journalists, independent unionists and directors of independent libraries”. In a press release issued on 14 April, Amnesty International states, “…Cuba has reversed significant human rights progress made over a period of years”. These reports have been corroborated from other sources, including announcements by Cuban authorities.
IFLA and its worldwide membership urge the Cuban government to respect, defend and promote the basic human rights defined in Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To this end, IFLA urges the Cuban government to eliminate obstacles to access to information imposed by its policies. IFLA supports the recent resolution of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which called for an investigative visit to Cuba by a special rapporteur and advises that special attention should be given to freedom of access to information.
Proclaiming the fundamental right of all human beings to access information without restriction, IFLA urges the Cuban library community to monitor violations of freedom of access to information and freedom of expression and to take a leading role in actively promoting these basic rights for all the peoples of Cuba.
As a commitment to intellectual freedom is a core value of the library and information profession worldwide, IFLA supports and assists the Cuban library community in safeguarding free access to print and electronic information, including the Internet, by implementing a code of ethics for the library profession developed by the Associacion Cubana de Bibliotecarios (ASCUBI).
To overcome the effects of the US blockade on the free flow of information in Cuba, IFLA urges the government of the United States to share information materials widely in Cuba, especially with Cuba’s libraries, and not “just with individuals and non-governmental organizations that represent US political interests.”
IFLA and its worldwide membership support, defend and promote intellectual freedom as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This intellectual freedom encompasses the wealth of human knowledge, opinion, creative thought and intellectual activity.
Ref.: http://www.hrw.org
Ref.: http://www.amnesty.org
IFLA
IFLA is an independent, international, non-governmental organisation representing the interest of libraries, librarians and the users of libraries worldwide. Founded in 1927, it now has members in over 150 countries, representing hundreds of thousands of library and information staff. IFLA is accredited by a number of United Nations agencies, including UNESCO, with whom it enjoys Formal Associate Relations.
FAIFE – an IFLA Core Activity
FAIFE is an initiative within IFLA to defend and promote the basic human rights defined in Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The FAIFE Committee and Office further freedom of access to information and freedom of expression in all aspects, directly or indirectly, related to library and information services.
FAIFE monitors the state of intellectual freedom within the library and information community worldwide, supports IFLA policy development and cooperation with other international human rights organisations, and responds to violations of freedom of access to information and freedom of expression.
Background
IFLA/FAIFE made a representation to the Government of Cuba in 1999 in regard to freedom of access to information. This was preceded and followed by a number of investigations, consultations and reports; see http://www.ifla.org/faife/
The following Resolution was adopted at the IFLA Council meeting held in Boston, USA on Friday 24 August 2001:
“Be it resolved that IFLA:
1. State its strongly felt concerns about the effects of the US embargo that include:
* Obstacles to the export of information materials to Cuba despite their formal exclusion from the embargo
* A severe reduction in the capacity of Cuban libraries and citizens to purchase information materials and related technologies due to the economic effects of the embargo
* Indirect disruption of access to information by Cubans and Cuban libraries caused by the effects on power supply, telecommunications and other aspects of life in Cuba
* Inhibitions to professional interaction and exchange caused by the restrictions on travel to the US by Cuban nationals and to Cuba by US nationals.
2. Urge the US Government to eliminate obstacles to access to information and professional interaction imposed by its embargo and any other US Government policies.
3. Urge the Cuban Government to eliminate obstacles to access to information imposed by its policies.
4. Support and continue to monitor initiatives by the Cuban library community to safeguard free access to print and electronic information, including via the Internet, and in particular:
* Support and assist the ASCUBI [Associación Cubana de Bibibiotecarios] initiative to develop a code of ethics for the standards and principles of library services in Cuba.
* Urge the Cuban library community to adopt fully the IFLA Public Library Guidelines [The Public Library Service: IFLA/UNESCO Guidelines for Development. Saur: 2001]
5. Encourage IFLA colleagues to attend the international conference on information in Havana 22-26 April 2002, hosted by IDICT [Instituto de Información Cientifica y Tecnológica] to help further professional relations with Cuba.
6. Urge the US Government to put policies in place to make sharing of books and other materials on all subjects, as well as information technology, with Cuba’s libraries easier for all who wish to improve access to information in Cuba through strengthening library collections.
7. Urge the US Government to share information materials widely in Cuba, especially with Cuba’s libraries, and not just with “individuals and independent non-governmental organizations that represent US political interests.”
