U.S. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

Resolution to Support the U.S. Rejoining UNESCO

Whereas the United States for many years until 1985 was a Member State and strong supporter of the goals, objectives, programmes, and projects of UNESCO; and

Whereas UNESCO, and especially its Directorate for Communications, Information, and Informatics, is increasingly pro-active in fostering initiatives that envision, encourage, and enlarge the role of libraries, museums, archives and information services, and the role of information professionals in those institutions, in helping Member States develop their national information infrastructures and link them to the global information infrastructure; and

Whereas newly elected top UNESCO officials, in particular Director-General. Koichiro Matsuura, strongly support the facilitation of universal access to all forms of information, and the need to make every effort to reduce the current imbalances that overwhelmingly affect the majority of the world’s population, depriving them of much needed information; and

Whereas in recent months UNESCO officials have actively and openly encouraged a dialog with the Commission to establish close partnerships in order to jointly pursue mutually advantageous activities; and

Whereas the U.S. Department of State has supported more direct working relationships between the U.S. library and information communities and UNESCO, including the exchange of librarians and information professionals: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science recommends that the United States rejoin UNESCO as a Member State as soon as possible.

Resolved by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science at its meeting on February 17, 2000.