International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)  is an independent, international, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that aims to promote high standards of provision and delivery of library and information services, encourage widespread understanding of the value of good library and information servicese, and represent the interests of library and information services (as well as their users) throughout the world.

One of the topics covered by IFLA in its activities is ‘information society and Internet governance’. IFLA’s work includes guidelines, standards and best practice to support librarians in the information society, and concrete examples include the UNESCO/IFLA Manifesto on Digital Preservation and the Recommendations on Media and Information Literacy. The organisation has been an active participant in global Internet governance processes such as the Wold Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the WSIS Forum and the Internet Governance Forum, where it advocates for the recognition of public access to the Internet as a key for addressing the challenges of development. In 2013, IFLA issued a position on Internet governance, in which it underlined its support for ‘free flow of information on the Internet’ and for the multistakeholder approach in Internet governance.