1995 Regional Consultative Meeting for APPREB
Bangkok, Thailand
1-2 August 1995

Chapter 1: Final Report of the Meeting
Chapter 2: Recommendations
Chapter 3: Resolution on the World Decade for Reading and Book Development
Chapter 4: Problems and Needs of Publishing in Asia and the Pacific Today Identified in the Meeting
Chapter 5: Proposals for APPREB
Chapter 6: UNESCO Report

Final Report of l995 APPREB Regional Consultation

Introduction

The 1995 Regional Consultation for APPREB (Asia-Pacific Cooperative Programme for Reading Promotion and Book Development) was jointly organized by the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU), the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development (DCID) of the Ministry of Education of Thailand and UNESCO in cooperation with the Thailand National Commission for UNESCO, Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand, Kurusapa Business Organization and the Amarin Printing and Publishing Co. Ltd.

The two-day meeting was to review the 1994-l 995 APPREB Programmes, to identify regional priorities in Asia-Pacific, plan 1996-1997 APPREB activities and focus on improving the promotion of the APPREB network.

Representatives from 15 countries and 2 organizations from the Asia-Pacific region attended the meeting. (The list of participants is in page 20 of this publication.)

At the Opening Ceremony, the welcome addresses were delivered by: Dr. Kasama Varavarn, the Director General of DCID, Thailand, Dr. Richard A. Engelhardt, representing UNESCO who read a message from the Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Federico Mayor, and Mr. Shigeo Miyamoto, the Executive Director of ACCU.

In Mr. Mayor's message, he mentioned that even in the age of electronic technology, books continue to be a key element in the pursuit of UNESCO's mission and that UNESCO remains strongly committed to book development and to promoting the availability of books.

The inaugural address was delivered by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Thailand, Mr. Artorn Chandavimol. In his remarks, he pointed out the role of new media especially that of good educational quality in developing countries in the global world today.

Khunying Maenmas Chavalit of Thailand and Mohammad Aslam Rao of Pakistan were unanimously elected in the Meeting as Chairperson and Co-Chairperson respectively. Sereima Lumelume of the University of the South Pacific and Hj. Mohd. Ariffin Siri of Malaysia were elected rapporteurs.

The provisional agenda and schedule of the Meeting were also unanimously adopted. (Refer to Agenda and Schedule of the Meeting in page 23).

l. UNESCO's Programme for Books and Reading - Challenges and Priorities

Ms. Rosamaria Durand, Programme Specialist of the Book and Copyright Division of UNESCO emphasized the need of billions of people in the world in the "subway of communication (quote from Director General, UNESCO) i.e. in the hundreds of villages in the developing world".

She reiterated the need to be innovative in the area of book development and reading promotion for effective and sustainable development. She further stressed the need for a holistic approach in book development so that the functions of both educational and general publishing are linked as two integral and complementary components of the book sector.

She also outlined other specific areas of innovative approach to book development; such as levels of readership and literacy rates to determine consumer needs; the promotion and development of national book policies and their importance to effective and sustainable development in the book industry.

She was hopeful that a blue print would be developed with regard to book development for its effective implementation by the Member States and the UNESCO for 1996-1997.

2. ACCU Report: Strategies and Activities of Regional Cooperation for Book Development and Reading Promotion in Asia-Pacific

The ACCU Report was given by Mr. Shinji Tajima, the Director of the Book Development and　Literacy Promotion Division of ACCU. Mr. Tajima outlined the joint regional programmes carried out by ACCU with the close collaboration with UNESCO and the Member States since I 971 in the areas of book development, literacy and culture in Asia and the Pacific. These were actively supported by the 28 UNESCO Member States of Asia and the Pacific. Some of the programmes particularly highlighted by Mr. Tajima included:
1. Training of publishers, editors, writers, illustrators, etc. from the respective Member States, in Tokyo
2. Regional production of quality books for children in the Asian/Pacific Copublication Programme (ACP)
3. Publication and distribution of a journal for book-concerned people - Asian/Pacific Book Development (ABD)

He specifically pointed out another important activity of ACCU concerning the promotion of literacy education, particularly of the development of reading materials for neo-literates in rural areas. He emphasized that a large number of neo-literates in Asia and the Pacific need suitable materials that reflect their needs and situations for the sustenance of their literacy skills. Trainings of experts for the development of such materials have been arranged at the regional, sub-regional and national levels.

Under the Asian/Pacific Joint Production Programme on Materials for Neo-Literates in Rural Areas (AJP), 49 kinds of prototype materials were developed and were adapted by the Member States and also published in local versions. The materials have been translated into 22 languages of I 5 countries.

ACCU's Strategies for APPREB Promotion

ACCU's Strategies as the Regional Coordinating Secretariat for APPREB were mentioned as follows:

1. Creative and innovative activities will be conducted at regional and sub-regional levels with the cooperation of member states.
2. Efforts to upgrade quality and increase quantity of publishing in the region will be continue and intensified. Personnel training will be emphasized.
3. Studies on the new concepts of literacy will be conducted, particularly the exploration of the use of Multi-media.
4. Programmes to promote reading and to provide reading materials for neo-literates in rural areas, remote areas and slums will be conducted.
5. Collaboration with government sectors, private sectors and NGOS will be continually pursued and encouraged.
6. Cooperation with other sectors will also be promoted, particularly with organizations such as IFLA, IPA and various UN Organizations.
7. Inter-regional cooperation and networking will be promoted.

3. Review of APPREB Regional Activities in 1994- 1995

1) 1995 APPREB Regional Consultation

Ms. Taeko Kurokawa reported on the APPREB regional activities conducted in 1994-1995. Following the first APPREB consultation in Kuala Lumpur and the second Regional Consultation in Tokyo in January 1994, this was the third APPREB Regional Consultation being held in Bangkok, Thailand, jointly organized by ACCU and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development of the Ministry of Education, Thailand and UNESCO.

APPREB Open Symposium titled, "Children's Literature: the Key to a Literate Environment" was held to promote APPREB at this time at the same venue in Bangkok.

2) Regional Training Course on Book Production in Asia and the Pacific (Tokyo Course)

Ms. Kurokawa reported that these courses have been organized by ACCU in cooperation with UNESCO. In 1994, a Training Course on Book Marketing and Distribution was held from 21 September -8 October in Tokyo, Japan. There were 23 participants from 20 countries. In 1995, there was a Training Course on Utilizing Computers in Publishing from 26 September - 4 October 1995 and the participants were invited from 20 countries in Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Kurokawa stated that APPREB would continue to reinforce the training of personnel in the various aspects of book production and promotion of reading. Between I 967 and I 995, 27 courses were conducted and the topics for the courses for 1996 onwards would be decided in consultation with the Member States.

3) Asian/Pacific Copublication Programme (ACP)

Mr. Shinji Tajima reported on ACP activities and emphasized the importance of such activities of regional cooperation to jointly produce common reading materials in the region. He explained to the Meeting that the National Agencies for ACP are responsible for participating in the planning, preparing of manuscripts & illustrations and editorial work of books, and also to produce and distribute national versions of ACP books in their respective countries.

It was recommended that an evaluation study on ACP be conducted at the last ACP editorial meeting to identify the obstacles encountered by the Member States in the promotion of ACP and to recommend ways to increase its effectiveness. Questionnaires were distributed for the evaluation. These were sent to the National Agencies of ACP to collect up-to-date data and comments and suggestions for improvement.

In addition, ACCU and UNESCO carried out a study in three countries -- Malaysia , Thailand and Vietnam -- prior to the I 995 APPREB Regional Consultation.

New publication, "TREES"
In March I 995, the first title in the Ecology Book Series of ACP, "Trees", was published and three sets of positive films of the book were also produced for the production of national versions. This was the first book compiled in a non-anthological format.

Promotion of ACP books
Promotion activities for ACP have been conducted in the Member States. Libraries in Japan purchased 8 different language versions each of 14 titles of ACP books, which were purchased from the respective countries. The ACP books are for the benefit of multi-national and multi-cultural population of Japan, according to the request of the Japanese libraries.

4) APPREB Information: Asian/Pacific Book Development (ABD)

Asian/Pacific Book Development is published quarterly and the APPREB activities have been allocated pages in ABD. ABD is a publication on news and information pertaining to publishing and book promotion in Asia-Pacific produced with contributions from national correspondents in 25 countries.

It was suggested by a few participating countries to reproduce a part of or whole issue of ABD in national languages, and ACCU welcomed such initiatives to disseminate ABD.

It was also suggested to circulate information on the supplementary sales of rights through ABD, which have not yet been exploited much in the member states.

5) APPREB Poster and Brochure

Ms. Kurokawa reported on the new brochure and poster which are intended for the promotion of APPREB activities. 4,000 posters and 6,000 brochures will be distributed to book-related organizations all over the world.

6) Participation in International Book Fairs

APPREB was publicized by ACCU at the various international book fairs including the following : Frankfurt Book Fair, Tokyo International Book Fair, Seoul International Book Fair.

APPREB was publicized by ACCU at the various international book fairs including the following : Frankfurt Book Fair, Tokyo International Book Fair, Seoul International Book Fair.

7) Directory & Networking - A Who's Who

A Who's Who for ACCU was published and circulated among the related organizations.

4. Review of APPREB Sub-Regional Activities in 1994-1995

1) Survey of Reading Needs

The surveys conducted in 1994 in Southeast Asia (Laos), and in South Asia (Pakistan). The Children's Cultural Centre, Dept. of Culture and Information in Laos, conducted the survey for Laos and the National Book Foundation of Pakistan conducted the survey for Pakistan.

Reading Survey in Laos (1994)

Ms. Dara Kanlaya, Deputy Director, Department of Literature and Mass Culture, Ministry of Culture and Information of Laos, reported the survey. The survey in Laos was carried out in 8 provinces and 993 children aged 8 to 15 were interviewed. Some of the findings of the survey were as follows:
- A high percentage of them do not possess any books, and neither do their neighbours
- Teachers do not introduce reading activities.
- Some portable libraries given to schools were not in service for fear of losing the books
- Portable libraries are open for service for too short a time. Children are not allowed to borrow books.

To sum up, there is a great demand for books including textbooks, cartoon books, story books, easy-to-read materials, and for reading activities in schools and reading campaigns. However, it was also pointed out that those who have not seen books have access to videos now.

Reading Survey in Pakistan (1994)
The survey in Pakistan was reported by Mr. Mohammad Aslam Rao, Secretary of the National Book Foundation of Pakistan. The National Survey I 994 activity was carried out both in rural and urban areas throughout the country. Main objective of the survey was to study the problems of children in various fields of education, particularly in rural areas. Under the study ten (lO) questionnaires were formulated covering every possible aspect of education concerned with children, such as children, teachers, booksellers, parents, general public, publishers, printers and policy makers. The activity covers a total sample of 5978 Iiterates from every field.

Reading Survey in Pakistan (1994) The survey in Pakistan was reported by Mr. Mohammad Aslam Rao, Secretary of the National Book Foundation of Pakistan. The National Survey I 994 activity was carried out both in rural and urban areas throughout the country. Main objective of the survey was to study the problems of children in various fields of education, particularly in rural areas. Under the study ten (lO) questionnaires were formulated covering every possible aspect of education concerned with children, such as children, teachers, booksellers, parents, general public, publishers, printers and policy makers. The activity covers a total sample of 5978 Iiterates from every field.

The availability of reading materials in rural areas, where 71% Of the total population live, is almost nil. Even when they are available, the local people cannot afford them. It was pointed out that authors in rural areas have very little opportunity to publish their books.

There are hardly any libraries in the rural areas and the position is not totally satisfactory even in the urban areas. The role of libraries in Pakistan as a source of reading materials leaves much to be desired.

Setting up of libraries in rural areas, mobile libraries, mobile bookshops and mobile book exhibitions/fairs may be one of the solutions. The findings of the survey are likely to help in the policy-making process. These are even more important in the formulation of future publishing plans for children's books. The choice and priorities of the children determined now through the survey will play a vital role in the development of local authorship. A comprehensive report on the results of the survey including the Recommendations was prepared.

Reading Surveys in Tonga (1995)
In 1995, in Tonga (Ministry of Education of Tonga) in the Pacific and in Mongolia (Institute for Educational Research and Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO) in East Asia, reading surveys were being conducted under APPREB .

In 1995, in Tonga (Ministry of Education of Tonga) in the Pacific and in Mongolia (Institute for Educational Research and Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO) in East Asia, reading surveys were being conducted under APPREB .

- To identify reading materials already available in Tonga and suppliers and sources
- To identify materials produced locally and in the Pacific region
- To identify materials which can only be obtained outside the region
- To determine supply/demand
- To determine reading tastes: from most popular reading materials to essential school materials
- To identify sources of book printing and production, volume, and compare local, regional and extraregional costs
- To determine capabilities of local publishing firms for current and expected expanded activities

Reading Survey in Mongolia (1995)
In sparsely populated Mongolia, due to the transition to a market economy, people in rural areas are suffering from a poor communication system for obtaining relevant educational services, although the literacy rate is 90%. This survey is expected to help to determine new trends in reading interests of the population.

The purposes of the survey in Mongolia are:
- To identify ways to activate literacy and book promotion in the country
- To study the current situation of development of cultural and educational levels of the population
- To determine future programmes to meet actual needs and interests of the population in reading

The surveys in Tonga and Mongolia were due to be completed by December I 995.

2) Sub-Regional Workshop on Formulating Effective Strategies for Promoting Reading in Rural Areas

Mr. K.M. Habibullah, Director of the National Book Centre of Bangladesh reported this workshop, using the final report distributed to the participants. This was organized in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 6-8 January 1995, by the National Book Centre of Bangladesh and ACCU. The participants included leading publishers, librarians, writers and NGOS actively working for the promotion of reading in rural areas from five countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Japan.

Some of the problems concerning reading in rural areas which were identified through the group work include: poverty, lack of coordinated policy, insufficient reading materials available in rural areas as well as the high cost of reading materials, low literacy rate, lack of motivational programmes for reading, lack of sufficient libraries and trained personnel, inadequate distribution channel, and lack of technology transfer.

The practical solutions to these problems were discussed and they include:
- Making materials available to rural areas through resource centres and other existing institutions such as schools, etc.
- Needs-based materials would be produced utilizing various forms of media and indigenous methods and culture with participation of creative writers and local people.
- Publishing activities for rural areas should be expanded and necessary training should be conducted to produce attractive literacy materials for writers, illustrators, local people and others.
- There should be a pre-survey and post-survey on the reading situation.
- More exchange of successful materials and approaches and many others.

3) Sub-Regional Consultation on the Free Flow of Books

The organizer was the Afro-Asian Book Council (AABC) of India and this was held in New Delhi, India on the 27-28 December 1994. 18 participants attended the Consultation. Mr. Abul Hasan, Director of AABC explained that it recommended a balanced two-way flow of printed materials and called for a Common Book Market in South Asia. The Consultation was of the view that the whole issue of free flow of information and knowledge should be viewed in a broader context.

Besides removal or reduction of taxes, duties and postal rates, factors such as the literacy rate, the reading habit, translation facilities and low-cost book production and distribution should also be considered to promote wide access to books and educational materials.

4) Sub-Regional Workshop on Book Production in the Pacific

This was organized in the University of the South Pacific (USP) located in Suva, Fiji, from 20 to 28 February 1995, by the Institute of Education of the University of the South Pacific and ACCU inviting participants from eight countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Western Samoa.

Ms. Sereima Lumelume of USP reported that resource persons who attended with ACCU's support included Mr. Albert Gamos (Illustrator, Philippines), Mrs. Sybil Wettasinghe (author-illustrator-editor, Sri Lanka) and Mr. Michael Keith (editor, New Zealand). Dr. Konai-Helu Thaman, Prof. Andrew Horn, Ms. Barbara Moore and Mr. Cliff Benson were resource persons from the USP.

A good number of traditional stories were written by the participants and edited. Illustrators worked with Albert Gamos on the finer points of illustrating while Sybil Wettasinghe assisted 9 writers in their endeavours to shape their stories to suit the children. A lot was achieved within a short period of time.

5. Presentation of Country Reports

Each country report highlighted the major problems and vital issues in publishing in their countries and their recommendations for APPREB. The country report of Sri Lanka had been submitted and the copy was distributed to the participants in the meeting, although the participant could not attend the meeting due to his illness.

1) Bangladesh
Bangladesh identified the areas that could be taken up by APPREB. These included co-operation at the regional and sub-regional levels in the areas of copublishing and adaptations. At the sub-regional and national levels, APPREB programmes should consider such issues as: restrictive government policies, inadequate methods of marketing and promotion, inadequate distribution infrastructure and difficulty in gaining access to books by the public/readers. APPREB should also emphasize the development of children's literature and private publishing, in the context of a "common market" for books in the South-Asia region and books for literacy programmes in the countries of the region. It was suggested that a survey could be conducted to identify the best methods to strengthen children's reading habits in developing countries like Bangladesh.

2) Cambodia
Book production in Cambodia is still "under-developed" and much more work needs to be done to increase the production to meet the vast needs of children in schools.

One of the causes of the problems in publishing today in Cambodia, is the decentralization of printing houses which forced some printing houses to cease operation due to financial constraints. The Ministry of Education's Publishing House has not been able to meet its obligations due to shortage of paper and equipment. Furthermore, writers are not writing for children and books are not attractively designed either. Some measures for improvement in the education area are being undertaken, particularly on reform within the existing curriculum.

3) China
The report begins with two basic features of book publishing in China:
1) Concerned government agencies have contributed large support to book publishing, based on the principle of "Covering the cost and making a little profit."
2) In the field of electronic publishing, China has made fast progress, and in 1994 the first Beijing International Electronic Publishing Seminar and Exhibition was held. China continually strives to improve its own publishing system because the major problem now is the high price of paper and printing. China hopes to be able to find some practical solutions to these issues from the meeting.

4) India
A number of major constraints were highlighted in the report which included:
(1) uneven growth of publishing in Indian languages as opposed to the rapid strides forward in the publishing of English materials in India.
(2) high cost of books
(3) high cost of paper
(4) impact of electronic media on reading habits
(5) the need to strengthen the existing network of booksellers
(6) need to publish post-literacy reading materials and the need to conduct courses on the production thereof
(7) training for personnel in the field of publishing

5) Indonesia
There are insufficient reading materials available for the population of 187 million. Therefore, the report concluded that interrelated national efforts must be considered to promote the supply, distribution, utilization and regulation of books. There was further discussion of specific problems faced by Indonesia on the supply of books, book publishing, importation, distribution, utilization and regulation of books.

6) Laos
The Kamishibai project has proven very successful and children like it very much, so more training workshops were conducted to produce more writers, illustrators and reading promoters in various provinces. A survey conducted recently revealed that the children would like more books, and some easier reading books.

25 titles of books were published by the Ministry of Culture and Information, amounting to
50,000 copies, of which 40,000 were distributed free of charge. No other publisher is willing to be involved in children's book publishing.

7) Malaysia
Due to the shortage of children's book writers, publishers in Malaysia translate books from English into Bahasa Melayu, the national language of Malaysia. Children's books, especially in the area of Science and Technology are much needed as children are the leaders, technicians and scientists of the future. Books published through translations have to be sold at a higher price. Malaysian publishers will continue publishing books even though the price of paper continues to increase. Malaysia is also involved in the production of multimedia materials in view of the Government's Plan to introduce more suitable computers in schools by the year 2000.

8) Maldives Publishing in Maldives is an expensive business and therefore materials produced by local writers are printed in neighbouring countries like India and Sri Lanka. This is due to the shortage of resources (manpower and finance). Most of the available personnel have not gone through any formal training, other than on-the-job training. This will hamper further progress in book publishing.

9) Mongolia In 1995-1996, all Mongolian printing factories will be privatized. For the last 1-2 years, Mongolia has seen changes such as the emergence of books by Mongolia writers published by Mongolian printers. Mongolia has started publication of about 50 types of textbooks, children's books and magazines.

lO) Nepal Nepal needs several steps to overcome multi-dimensional problems in the field of book development and reading promotion. The government should enforce the copyright act, and manage book development department under the Ministry concerned. Loan, postal and import facilities and tax exemption should be taken care of. At least one library should be established in the Village Development Committee (VDC) and a regional library, as well as a resource center for educational materials, should be developed in each district. On the job, training opportunities should be made available to the personnel of printing world.

A national network is essential to distribute printed materials. A book bulletin and book talk programmes should be organized regularly in the schools and campuses. There is a need to develop an institute to create book funds for the training and promotional activities.

11) Pakistan
Books are highly priced in Pakistan - about three to four times the original cost of production. There are other major obstacles in publishing such as:
(1) Continuous increase in the prices of printing paper
(2) Taxes on raw materials
(3) Lack of professional and technical skills
(4) Existence of book piracy
(5) Unhealthy competition among printers
(6) Lack of good marketing/good distribution system

12) Philippines
The dilemma of book publishing is how to produce quality books at low cost. Various questions have to be answered such as:
(1) Why are the costs of printing cheaper in Hong Kong, in spite of low wages in the Philippines?
(2) Why is the quality of printing better in Hong Kong even though the same machines are used in the Philippines? Authors do not get fair treatment from publishers regarding royalties and contracts. The Book Publishing Industry Act was passed by the Congress in June 1995.

13) Rep. of Korea
The boom in computer technology has resulted in a big increase of computer books in Korea. Competition among publishing and printing firms is tough, since there are as many as 10,325 publishing firms. But 72.7% of them had hardly any books to print in 1994. The distribution system is weak and, coupled with low purchases from libraries, has led to a low rate of development of the publishing industry. Prudential debates about opening publishing market under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and revising work of Copyright Law are in progress.

14) Sri Lanka The publishing industry is heavily involved in textbook production. The books are distributed free to all pupils studying in year 1 to year 11. The introduction of free textbooks has had its negative impact on the publishing industry. The direct effect is that the number of book shops has fallen from 1,000 to around 110. In the absence of a 11 good market base, print runs are shortened, prices increased, margin of profit eroded and opportunity for investment is restricted. (Although the participant could not attend the Meeting, the country report of Sri Lanka was distributed.)

15) Thailand There are five categories of publishers in Thailand, the business enterprises, scholastic, government, non-governmental organizations and private individuals. Generally, publishers have to face major problems like high cost of paper, government tax system (7% added to each procedure) and inadequate manpower. Like other countries, Thailand has to face problems due to inefficient transport and postal system, and the low budget given to public libraries, and books have to face competition with other media.

The Federation of Organizations Related to Book Development and Reading Promotion has been formed consisting of different professional organizations related to books and reading in the country, for the effective promotion of books and reading.

16) Viet Nam The Kim Dong Publishing House was established by the government to publish children's books in 1957. 100 titles were published between 1957 and 1987, 50-60 titles between 1988 and 1992 and 250 titles each year between 1993 and 1994. During the last two years, the Kim Dong Publishing House has paid attention to improving the quality of books as well as distribution networks and reading promotion.

6. The Role of APPREB in the Promotion of Books and Reading

Ms. Rosamaria Durand emphasized the role of APPREB in the promotion of books and reading. She also emphasized the need to develop clear and specific objectives for APPREB during 1996-1997. For this, she suggested establishing and strengthening National Agencies that will play the role of coordinating regional and sub-regional activities of APPREB.

Ms. Durand also reiterated the importance of extrabudgetary funds for the effective implementation of APPREB programmes. Participants were reminded of standing financial assistance from the various National Commissions for UNESCO, through the Participation Programme.

7. Common and Pressing Needs in Book Development and Reading

The synthesis of the country reports presented by the participants on the common and pressing needs in book development and reading in respective countries was presented to the Meeting by the secretariat. They were as follows:

1) Insufficient reading materials available The number of reading materials in the forms of books, magazines, etc. which are required by people is insufficient.

2) Dilemma of book publishing
- how to produce quality books at low cost
- Constant struggle for balancing the two factors: development of domestic industries and importation of quality raw materials/books at lower price
- Spiralling prices of books caused by the increasing price of paper is discouraging people from buying books
- High copyright fee for translated works contributes to high price of books
- More and more printing work is done outside the country due to lower quality printing in the country and higher prices, resulting in unavailability of materials and lack of trained manpower.

3) Need for trained personnel and training facilities
- Urgent need for trained personnel especially with a higher degree of professionalism, including authors (including science books), editors, illustrators, designers, managers, etc. and need for educational and training facilities on publishing

4) Social conditions for publishing
- Absence of a sufficient base for effective literacy and insufficiency of a mass education system which would use printed books
- People have low purchasing power.
- Shifting priorities in values due to social and economic structural changes, i.e. buying bread and clothes rather than books
- Private publishers are demanding a share of the textbook market by de-nationalization
- Near-total monopolization of leisure time by the electronic media
- Need for development and production of post-literacy reading materials for neo-literates
- Lack of coordination and management among GOs and NGOs
- Printers and publishers are concentrated in big cities only.

5) Non-recognition of publishing as an industry
- Lack of national book development policy and effective copyright act in some countries
- Lack of resources (both personnel and finance) to promote "written culture" in the predominantly oral culture
- Proper treatment and remuneration of authors, editors and translators are not guaranteed.

6) Absence of effective distribution network and marketing
- Book distribution is difficult and expensive in many countries due to geographical conditions.
- Need for a streamlined and efficient system of book marketing which would encourage publication of books.
- The book industry's dependence on institutional purchases is widening the gap between books and the intended readership. Strengthening the existing network of booksellers and helping in the establishment of new book shops is an immediate priority.

7) Problems in creating a reading environment
- Books are not considered important commodities in everyday life nor priced goods
- Need for massive national campaigns to re-establish books as the best means for entertainment, information and knowledge.
- Inadequate library budget

8) Electronic publishing
- Electronic publishing is an expensive venture and it requires a lot of planning and coordination.
- Electronic media compete with books but there is a need for an alliance between them so that they complement one another.

8. Identification of APPREB Objectives (areas) for 1996-1997

The proposals for APPREB made by the participants in their reports were compiled and presented to the Meeting. The participants were asked to review the paper and to make necessary comments and revisions. The priority areas for APPREB objectives and activities in I 996-1997 were identified as follows:

a) Copublication and translation
b) Training book personnel
c) Conducting studies and surveys, and setting up database
d) APPREB promotion
e) Supporting Member States on national policies on books & reading and other related issues
f) Reading campaigns and programmes to encourage publishing

The details of proposals for APPREB made through the country reports are also appended.

Based on these proposals, UNESCO and ACCU, the Regional Coordinating Secretariat will finalize the activities for APPREB 1996-1997. This will be communicated to the Member States in due course.

9. Inter-Regional Cooperation

Ms. Durand presented the plan for the "INTERBOOK" meeting, an initiative of UNESCO to convene a meeting of representatives of regional networks which promote books and reading. UNESCO works closely and supports the activities of networks, such as APPREB, CERLALC and APNET.

The INTERBOOK meeting, which is funded almost exclusively through extrabudgetary funds, would be convened on 22-24 May 1996 in Paris. Items for discussion and presentation at the INTERBOOK meeting comprise copublication programmes, national book policies, book sector studies, international legal instruments and, of course, general sharing of information.

The INTERBOOK initiative fits into UNESCO's programming thrust in support of inter-regional cooperation and collaboration. A subsequent initiative scheduled for May 1996, is the organization of a seminar to promote children's book publishing with experts from the Asia/ Pacific and from Africa.

10. Recommendations and Resolution

Each participant wrote three items of recommendations and the secretariat synthesized them using New-Participation Method to prepare the Draft Recommendations. The Meeting discussed the content and it was adopted unanimously.

Also the Draft Resolution on the World Decade for Reading and Book Development was unanimously accepted and adopted by the Meeting. The Recommendations and the Resolution on the World Decade for Reading and Book Development are appended.

11. Final Discussion

It was suggested to make further efforts to associate closely with various UN and donor organizations which are concerned with educational, cultural and social development so that funds can be attracted to important APPREB activities.

Mr. Kumar of India invited ACCU and APPREB to the next New Delhi World Book Fair to be held in February 1996. Also he suggested cooperating with APPREB in extending invitations to the personnel of other countries for the seminars and workshops which are to be organized by the National Book Trust, India. Ms. Chamidah of Indonesia mentioned that the APPREB programmes can be planned in relation to the book project funded by the World Bank, which is being conducted in Indonesia.

Mr. Almario of the Philippines suggested compiling stories of success on publishing and reading promotion in order to learn effectively from each other's experience. The need to encourage marketing by the private sector was pointed out, for one of the ways to strengthen the book industry is through booksellers.

It was emphasized that a sustained effort is necessary to create a reading environment by appealing to the public as well as policy makers and stressing the need to promote books and reading. Mr. Hasan of AABC mentioned the importance of creating a favourable writing environment, i.e. to promote indigenous authorship.

There should be facilities to improve professional competence for authorship including translations.

Mr. Kumar suggested promoting exchange of children's books in Asia and the Pacific utilizing meetings such as the APPREB and ACP meetings. ACCU would consider the preparation of a bibliography or similar kind of material to provide the member states with a forum for rights transactions.

12. Concluding Remarks

Ms. Rosamaria Durand congratulated all the participants on their deliberations, suggestions and recommendations. She also acknowledged the role of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development of the Ministry of Education. Thailand, as co-organizer of the Consultation Meeting and the ACCU as the Secretariat for APPREB. She emphasized the importance of ongoing regional and sub-regional networking and of sharing information and collaborating with other UNESCO regional offices. In so doing, Ms. Durand highlighted the role of the UNESCO office in Islamabad represented at the meeting by Mr. P. K. Kasaju, Head of the Office. Finally, Ms. Durand thanked the co-organizers, the Ministry of the Education of Thailand and ACCU, and offered her congratulations for a most successful and well-organized series of meetings. Sincere thanks and congratulations were also expressed to the participants for their informative and insightful contributions.

The Executive Director of ACCU, Mr. Miyamoto, also acknowledged the thorough and immediate response of all participating countries and institutions in identifying the needs and problems of book development and in suggesting practical, innovative solutions for APPREB to organize. He concluded that responses indicated the urge to pursue the betterment of cultural and literacy development. He also expressed his deep gratitude to UNESCO, and to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development, Ministry of Education of Thailand, and expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the staff members of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development for their excellent work.

Dr. Kasama Varavarn, Director General of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development, closed the consultation emphasizing the importance of advocacy for books and reading. She also mentioned the need for providing enjoyable resource materials such as "TREES", in order to meet the needs of the inquisitive minds of children, as well as for identifying ways to reduce book production cost, including a comparative study on tariffs and duties on paper. She congratulated all the participants for coming up with feasible and practical plans to achieve the goals and wished everyone success in all their endeavors.

Chapter 2. Recommendations

The Member States should:
4. Propose to the UNESCO General Conference of l995 a resolution for the World Decade for Reading and Book Development.
5. Set up APPREB focal points in the Member States, with the support of the UNESCO National Commission and the Ministries concerned.
6. Support APPREB's efforts at the regional level and optimize its visibility at the national level and collaborate with ACCU, the Regional ' Coordinating Secretariat, to promote APPREB.
7. Integrate APPREB activities in support of promotion of basic education programmes in the Member States and allocate greater budget for education and literacy.
8. Consider developing and/or strengthening national book policies to ensure that books and reading are included in a strategy to promote cultural and economic development.
9. Urge UNESCO to give more priority to APPREB activities and thereby to increase financial support.
10. Develop suitable curriculum for training of book personnel and organize training courses for authors, translators, editors, illustrators designers, publishing managers and printing technicians to promote their professionalism, rights and creativity, paying particular attention to providing reading materials for the rural and urban poor.
11. Promote co-publication of books under the Asian/Pacific Copublication Programme (ACP) and their use in schools. A certain percentage of the income from the sales of reprints of ACP books should be allocated to funding book development activities or ACP book promotion.
12. Promote mutual translation of good books for children in the region, and form translation associations and institutions for reading promotion.

UNESCO should:
13. Increase funds for book development and reading promotion in Asia/Pacific and give full support to APPREB'S activities.
14. Continue to designate ACCU as the Regional Coordinating Secretariat on a long-term basis.
15. Consider the declaration of a World Decade for Reading and Book Development.
16. Strengthen technical assistance for formulation and improvement of national book policies, training and seminars for book personnel and for reading animators in Asia and the Pacific under APPREB.
17. Develop master plan for reading promotion and book development at regional and sub-regional levels in collaboration with the Governments of the Member States.
18. Aim at inter-regional cooperation by organizing activities like INTERBOOK, specialized seminars and the inter-regional conference on the economics (quality but low-priced books) of book production.
19. Establish APPREB chapters in the Member States to conduct sub-regional programmes.
20. Give top priority to activities which put books into the hands of urban and rural poor.
21. Conduct and encourage in collaboration with APPREB secretariat and Member States, surveys on reading habits, especially of children, and evaluate their results.

ACCU should:
22. Continue to play an active role as APPREB Regional Co-ordinating Secretariat to promote and strengthen activities related to book development and reading promotion at re ional sub-regional and national level g ,
23. Develop suitable curriculum for training of book personnel and conduct training courses and workshops for book personnel including writers, illustrators, designers, translators, editors, publishers and printers, to promote their professionalism, rights and creativity, paying particular attention to providing reading materials for the rural and urban poor.
24. Continue the Asian/Pacific Copublication Programme (ACP) while promoting effective use of ACP publications at schools and strengthening co-operation with the national agencies in the Member States.
25. Conduct in collaboration with UNESCO regional consultation on national book policies and the function of national book organizations in the Member States.
26. Promote the use of computers and other electronic media in publishing such as desktop publishing, CD-ROM, CD-1 and INTERNET by organizing training courses and workshops.
27. Organize seminars on book marketing and copyright in collaboration with UNESCO.

Chapter3. Resolution on the World Decade for Reading and Book Development

Having considered that reading is the main key to knowledge and information which, in turn, are vital to human resource development, and to our understanding of world's history and civilization.

Concerned that despite fifty years of efforts by the UN Member States to create a literate environment, millions remain illiterate and have no access to appropriate books.

Recalling that UNESCO since its inception has emphasized that printed words and images, i.e. books in whichever form, are essential to human intellectual and spiritual development and that these are the tools through which UNESCO promotes knowledge, international understanding, peace and tolerance.

We, the participants of the 1995 APPREB Regional Consultation attended by 17 countries of Asia and the Pacific, thereby,

- urge UNESCO Director General, Mr. Federico Mayor to declare the years I 996-2005 the World Decade for Reading and Book Development as a necessary measure to propagate the significance of books and reading in every country's social and economic progress and for closer global understanding.
- call on the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive programme of activities and on the allocation of financial resources by UNESCO and the Member States to ensure the worldwide impact of the World Decade .
- appeal to the international community to support UNESCO in its efforts to facilitate the development of a literate world environment.

K.M. Habibullah (Bangladesh), Vantha Yin (Cambodia), Jin Jin (China), Arvind Kumar (lndia), Sri Amien Chamidah Subiyakto (Indonesia), Kyoko Matsuoka (Japan), Dara Kanlaya (Laos), Hj. Mohd. Anffin Siri (Malaysia), Ahmed Zahir (Maldives), Borkhondoi Buyandelger (Mongolia), Ram Kumar Panday (Nepal), Mohammad Aslam Rao (Pakistan), Virgilio S. Almario (Philippines), Kim Sung-Jae (Rep. of Korea), Khunying Maenmas Chavalit (Thailand), Sman Chatiyanonda (Thailand), Dang Cong Minh (Vietnam), Sereima Lumelume (University of the South Paclfic), Abul Hasan (Afro-Asian Book Council), Izzah Abdul Aziz (Malaysia), Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thanh (Vietnam), Rosamaria Durand (UNESCO), Shigeo Miyamoto
( ACCU)

4 August I995

Chapter 4. Problems and Needs of Publishing in Asia and the Pacific Today Identified in the Meeting

1. Insufficient reading materials available
5) The number of reading materials in the forms of books, magazines, etc. which are required by people is insufficient.

2. The dilemma of book publishing is: How to produce quality books at low cost.
3) Constant struggle for balancing the two factors: development of domestic industries and importation of quality raw materials/ books at lower price

4) Spiraling prices of books caused by the increasing price of paper is keeping the people away from buying books.

5) The raw materials used in the production of books like films, chemicals, paper, etc., liable to import taxes, whereas there are no taxes on the import of books. This situation is considered unhealthy in the development of indigenous publishing industry.

6) VAT contributes to increase of cost of production.

7) High copyright fee for translated works contributes to high price of books

8) More and more printing works are done outside the country due to lower quality printing in the country and higher price which are resulted by unavailability of materials and lack of trained manpower.

3. Urgent need for trained personnel and training facilities
1) Urgent need for trained personnel especially with a higher degree of professionalism, including authors for science books, editors, illustrators, designers, managers, etc. and need for educational and training facilities on publishing.

4. Social conditions for publishing
1) Absence of a sufficient large based of effective literacy and insufficiency of a mass education system which would use printed books.

2) People have low purchasing power.

3) Transition from a centrally planned economy to market economy. (e.g. New structure and management of publishing and printing are not yet established, and shifting priorities in values and buying bread and clothes than books.)

4) Private publishers are demanding a share of the textbook market by de-nationalization.

5) Near total monopolization of leisure time by the electronic media

6) Need for development and production of post-literacy reading materials for neo-literates.

7) Printers and publishers are concentrated in big cities only.

8) Lack of resources (both personnel and finance) to promote "written culture" in the predominantly oral culture.

9) Proper treatment and remuneration of authors, editors and translators are not guaranteed.

10) Lack of coordination and management among GOs and NGOs.

5. Publishing is not recognized as an industry thus lack of government commitment and investment.
1) Lack of national book development policy and effective copyright act in some countries.

2) Lack of capital for publishing and innovation of printing facility

6. Absence of an effective distribution network and marketing
1) Book distribution is difficult and expensive in many countries due to geographical conditions.

2) Need for a streamlined and efficient system of book marketing which would encourage publication of books.

3) The book industry's dependence on institutional purchases, is widening the gap between books and the intended readership. Strengthening the existing network of booksellers and helping in the establishment of new bookshops require immediate attention.

4) In the big merchandise wave, thousands of book distribution spots disappeared especially in countryside.

7. Reading environment
l) Limited market in the predominantly oral culture.

2) Competition with electronic media which prevents people from reading.

3) Books are not considered as important commodity in every life nor priced goods.

4) Need for a massive national campaign to re-establish books as the best means for entertainment, information and knowledge.

5) Inadequate library budget

8. Electronic publishing
1) Electronic publishing is an expensive venture and it requires a lot of planning and coordination.

2) Electronic media competes with books but there is a need to be alliance with electronic media to complement each other.

Chapter 5. Proposals for APPREB
(summarized from the country Reports and APPREB Reports of the participants)

Co- publication & Translation
17) copublication of books for children especially on science (Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam, etc.)
18) co-publishing especially of scholarly and academic books at regional level (Bangladesh)
19) development and distribution of braille books at international level (Pakistan )
20) audio-visual programmes of books for education purpose (Nepal)
21) pictorial books on newly excavated cultural properties (Rep. of Korea)
22) inter-national/regional translation of children's books (Pakistan, Laos, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia)
23) books for literacy programmes (Bangladesh, etc.)

Training of Book Personnel
28. training course for authors, translators, editors, illustrators, designers, managers, printing technicians and other specialists (Indonesia, Nepal Korea Thailand Viet Nam, AABC & many others)
29. development of a suitable curriculum for training of book personnel at sub-regional level (/ nd ia)
30. publishing technical guidebooks on various aspects of publishing (Nepal)
31. develop institutions for reading promotion and bookselling . (Rep. of Korea)
32. seminar on copyright including of multimedia (AABC, Rep. of Korea)
33. support in introducing latest book production techniques (Pakistan)
34. seminar on electronic publishing (Rep. of Korea, AABC)
35. programmes on translation (AABC)

Conducting Studies Survey s and Setting up a Data-base
9) construct a computerized bibliography database of scholarly works (Rep. of Korea)
10) survey on reading needs and habits (Bangladesh, India)
11) research on reading habits and quality of books (Indonesia)
12) case studies of successful reading promotion (Rep. of Korea)
13) sub-regional seminar to evaluate and assess the results of various surveys (Pakistan)
14) compile bibliographies of publishers, printers, booksellers and books in the region (Pakistan)
15) provide diagnoses for different book markets m Asia - reports about innovative book marketing techniques (Philippines)

APPREB Promotion
establish APPREB Units in member countries to conduct sub-regional programrnes (Nepal) develop funds for APPREB programmes (Viet Nam)
form a independent body of different organizations and experts to launch reading promotion and book development programmes (Nepal )

Support Member States on National Policies on Books & Reading and Other Related Issues
g) Seminars on thorough review of existing national book policies and how to improve them (Philippines)
h) workshop on national policies for reading promotion (Rep. of Korea)
i) organize a summit of heads of states and ministers of education to finalize master plan on reading promotion and book development (Nepal)
j) support for formulation of book development plans in member countries (Pakistan, Thailand) develop a master plan to build infrastructures at regional and sub-regional level (Nepal) programmes to consider government policies, marketing and promotion, distribution and securing access for books to readers, promotion of private sector publishing, and on "Common Market" for books in South Asia (Bangladesh)
k) mobile bookshops in rural areas (Pakistan)
l) support in introducing Desk Top Publishing in member countries (Pakistan)

Reading Campaigns & Programmes to Encourage Publishing
1. campaign for reading and book promotion through various media (India)
2. encourage best books by providing incentives (Pakistan)
3. promote book box library in rural areas (Nepal)
4. programmes on book exhibitions (AABC)

Others
(1) facilitate copyright negotiation for inter-national translation (Thailand )
(2) provide fund and technical assistance for development of supplementary reading materials (Cambodia)

Chapter 6: UNESCO Report: UNESCO's Programme for Books and Reading - Challenges and Priorities

Rosamaria Durand. Programme Specialist Book and Copyright Division, UNESCO

Part I :
Imagine a village in the middle of Africa. Now try to visualize a Northern development worker driving' into this village in a fancy car and parking it in the centre of the village under a shady tree. Our development worker gets out of the car under the watchful eyes of the village elders and promptly and efficiently proceeds to greet the village chief. The question he has come to ask is quickly put on the table: "Would the village be interested in getting educational books in the national language?" After a brief silence, the village elders speak: "Young man, this is not how' thing's are done. When you come into our village, on the first day you meet with the village elders so that they may get to know you; on the second day, you meet with the adults, the men and women of this village; on the third day, you meet with the village children so that they may adopt you; on the fourth day, you may present your question; on the fifth day, we may give you our answer. Then on the sixth day, you may drive away in your fancy car. ''

As you might suspect, this is a true story. A story that was told to me by an African colleague as a reminder that the road to book development is arduous and that many factors must be taken into consideration before effective planning can begin.

Now, in our case, we can't spare six days and most of us will soon be leaving from here in our fancy planes. However, for my part, in contrast to the development worker in our story, I have come here to learn and to listen. Despite the short time we have together, I hope to get to know all of you and familiarize myself with the particular issues and challenges each of' you face in your respective countries.

But for me this is not all. As the information society gallops towards the end of this century, I hope we can take the opportunity at this Regional Consultation to review together some basic tenets of book development and to reflect on the need to take basic human needs and wisdom into consideration when we discuss our priorities. We may also want to focus on the impact of' high technologies and on the temptation to cater increasingly to the needs of screen-driven cohorts to the detriment of those who, sadly, even in this information age, remain excluded from the development process. Reaching out to those who continue to be marginalized must be one of' our programming priorities.

Allow me at this point to share with you an anecdote that our Director-General recounted recently at a meeting in Paris. His response to an invitation from Vice-President Gore was as follows: "Mr. Vice-President, I will be with you at the forefront of the super highway of information, but I want you to be with me in the subway of communication, i.e. in the hundreds of villages in the developing world. "

As donor agencies struggle to maintain their official development assistance commitments in the face of declining economies at home, there is a need to rethink all development, including book development, to ensure that it responds to the needs of' a society, and in particular to the needs of those who are still operating at the "subway level" as Mr. Mayor so effectively put it.

Like all development activities, book development calls for a process of change, and change requires time. It was interesting for me to learn that it took France - one of the major book-producing countries in the world - all of 25 years to fully abolish all costs related to textbooks and to provide them free of charge to students.

Innovation is also necessary for effective and sustainable development to occur. Given the meager successes achieved in the past in the area of book development, and given that - despite the new technologies of the information age - millions remain without books and hungry for knowledge, we may just have to identify a new course of action to guide our programming priorities into the next millennium. And as we do this, it is imperative that we include in our planning that "subway of communication" in which we find close to a billion illiterates, marginalized and excluded from the development process.

I turn now to strategies for effective book development. If we accept that we must rethink book development, we must be prepared to look together at possible new strategies. First and foremost, it will be necessary to pursue a country-specific approach and to gain an in-depth grasp of the particular conditions and challenges that exist in each country. Using the analogy of my African anecdote, this corresponds to days one, two and three. In terms of our work, it translates into conducting specialized book-sector studies in as many countries as possible.

It is my hope that the information contained in the country reports that will follow in today's agenda, will launch this process. This information is vital because, in the short term, it will provide an operational framework for APPREB activities to be conducted under UNESCO auspices and. in the longer term, it will lead to a data-gathering process that could eventually provide comprehensive data on various aspects of book development in participating Member States.

UNESCO, and our Division in particular, has for many years advocated the need to adopt a holistic approach to book development and to look at both educational and general publishing as two integral and complementary components of the book sector. It is our belief that effective and sustainable book development can only be achieved when all links in the "book chain" are in place and are functioning. Thus, a vibrant book sector will comprise authors, a local publishing industry, editors, printers, distributors, booksellers and, of course, the consumers/readers who will represent the demand side of the equation and stimulate, in turn, the supply side, i.e. book production.

Establishing readership and literacy rates, i.e. , the existence of a literate environment, is a key component of collecting data on the book sector since it is ultimately in response to local consumer needs that the book production industry will grow. It is at the policy level, however, that the decisive factors in support of the growth of the book sector are determined. Examples exist which demonstrate that the political will behind a national desire to stimulate the book sector, as articulated thorough the existence of national book policies, can in fact facilitate the emergence of a local publishing industry.

The pioneer work of our Division in the area of the promotion and development of national book policies aims to foster a dialogue between the government and the private publishing sectors to ensure that the comparative advantages of both are taken into consideration in order to stimulate the growth of a local publishing industry. Elaborating a comprehensive national book policy also means reviewing legal instruments such as the Florence Agreement and the various copyright conventions and, within this framework, taxes and tariffs that impact on the book trade.

I hope we may return over the next couple of days to some of these points in the course of our discussions. Allow me only, for the sake of clarity, to provide you now with a useful definition of "a national book policy" taken from the publication "A Guide to Sustainable Book Provision" written by Pernille Askerud for the Education Sector of UNESCO: "A national book policy is simply a coherent set of regulations and indicators set by the highest national authority to govern the development, printing and dissemination of books and other printed materials with the aim of enhancing the culture of reading. The approval by the highest national authority is crucial to the effect of the policy since, ultimately, it is not only a question of allocating sufficient resources but the very status accorded to the book policy that will determine the extent to which it will be implemented."

The Book and Copyright Division has, since its earliest beginnings, promoted national book policies as part of a holistic and comprehensive approach to book development since its earliest beginnings and the challenge is ever present today as we renew our call for the need to bridge the education and information gaps that continue to exist in many countries of the developing world. Just now, the Chief of our Section for Books and Reading, Mr. Alvaro Garzon, is drafting a publication on this strategic approach and on the need for national book policies.

As we undertake to celebrate of UNESCO's 50th anniversary, the message from our Division continues to be clearly focused on books and on book development. It is in the "subway of communication", as well as on the "super information highway" that books will remain the most important tools of our work since their role is indispensable for human and societal development.

Books today, just as they did half a century ago, represent a commitment on the part of our Organization to contribute to a better and more just world community. In the words of the French philosopher Victor Hugo: "The future belongs to the book and not to the bomb, to peace and not to war." And, indeed, it is largely by utilizing books, as vehicles of information, knowledge and understanding, that we can hope to achieve those high goals of socio-economic stability, peace and tolerance.

As we all know, much remains to be done and our challenges are varied and multifaceted. In the face of such a myriad of difficulties, it is not surprising that one might become discouraged at the daunting proposition of attaining the goal of affordable and appropriate "books for all" in the near future.

We can begin, however, as of today, to seize this opportunity which brings us together in this beautiful and hospitable city, to launch a process of rethinking the priorities for book development. Let us look together at the major issues and constraints that lie in the path of our goal so that we may consider new approaches and innovations to further the cause of books.

Let us develop together, over the next few days, a blueprint for an effective course of action that will involve all participating members as well as UNESCO_ . A course of action that is both responsive to the needs of each country and that, furthermore, will take into consideration the crucial roles of books. In the words of an African elder from the Coast Province of Kenya: "...it is time people stopped hiding in excuses that continue to maim us. While we still enjoy the rhythm and beat of our traditional dances and drums, we have long learnt to appreciate that the times are changing and so are we. Our dances and drums may have made heroes of' us, but the only one of our children who will be left dancing in the arena will be that one holding on to the book."

Part 2: UNESCO's Section for Books and Reading

Coming face to face with a legend is not the kind of thing one expects to happen every day. Not even in Paris. Not even at UNESCO. And yet, that is what happened a couple of months after I .joined the Organization as a Programme Specialist in the Section for Books and Reading of its Book and Copyright Division.

The "legend" in this case is Mr. Julian Behrstock, a well-known book development professional who was in charge of UNESCO's Book Programme from 1956 to 1976. To introduce us was Ms. Marcia Lord, also American-born like Mr. Behrstock, and a well-respected UNESCO book promotion professional in her own right.

The occasion offered, inter alia, a chance to talk about book promotion at UNESCO and to put these efforts in a historical perspective. A perspective that represents a plunge into the down of the Organization, into an era that began 5O years ago replete with intellectual expectations and promises.

UNESCO's "love affair" with the book goes back to the inception of the Organization and remains inextricably linked to its philosophical and intellectual mandate. Books, free flow of and access to information, cooperation, knowledge and peace are UNESCO's icons, entrenched into the constitution and as forcefully promoted today as they were half a century ago.

UNESCO's first attempt to promote the role of books, in a world devastated by war and seemingly preoccupied more by the recovery of its economic prosperity than by the rebirth of ideas and concepts, began in 1950 with the Florence Agreement, an international instrument to promote the free flow of cultural, educational and scientific materials. Shortly after that, the Organization commissioned a maiden study. "Books for All", the first of its kind on the world status of books and reading which was prepared by the late Mr. Ronald E. Barker, who was at the time the Secretary of the Publishers Association of the LJK.

The Barker study was followed by many others, each pointing to the acute shortage of books in developing countries and to the need for leadership on the part of UNESCO to alleviate what was coming to be known as the "book hunger". And leadership was provided in those early days as UNESCO responded to the challenge by convening a series of well-concerted and -focused book development conferences intended to promote books and reading. Interestingly, some of these international gatherings led to the establishment of significant book promotion networks and institutions such as the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) in Japan and the Regional Centre for Book Promotion in Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLALC) in Colombia.

A Iandmark follow-up initiative was the organization, in 1972, of International Book Year (IBY) which represented a call to the international book community to rally round the cause of "books for all" and to sensitize the general public to the need to promote books and reading. Consistently, it was LTNESCO'S "book development section" that spearheaded these initiatives and worked in close collaboration both within the Organization and with the international book community.

Over the years, the "book development section" has been an integral part of various Divisions: from Book Promotion and Development; to Book Promotion and International Exchanges; to Books, Audiovisual Archives and International Exchanges; and, since 1990, with the amalgamation of book development and copyright. to the Book and Copyright Division. Administratively, the Division. which is under the direction and leadership of Ms. Milagros del Corral, consists of two sections: Books and Reading headed by Mr. Alvaro Garzon and Copyright headed by Mr. Salah Abada.

The aims and objectives of the Section for Books and Reading have not changed significantly over the 5O years of history we have just briefly reviewed. On the contrary, the commitment of the Section to the development and growth of the Book Sector as a whole is stronger today than ever. A commitment that flows from the belief that real advancements in increasing the local production of books and in stimulating the book trade can only be achieved by embracing a holistic view of the Sector, by understanding the dynamics and the forces within it and by supporting the emergence and growth of the local publishing industry. Failing to recognize that educational and general publishing must be viewed as two equally important, complementary and interconnected segments of one market presents serious shortcomings that can bear negative consequences.

In keeping with this holistic approach to book development, the focus of the Section rests on rationalizing and promoting the development and adoption of national book policies, an area in which, over the years, a considerable degree of expertise and information has,' been acquired. Just as one example, Mr. Garzon is in the process of writing a manual on the subject describing the purpose, content and various elements of a national book policy.

A second significant macro aspect of the work of the Section focuses on our collaboration with established regional networks that promote books and reading, such as the Asia-Pacific Programme for Reading Promotion and Book Development (APPREB), CERLALC and African Publishers' Network (APNET), both individually and as a group by linking their experiences and promoting interregional cooperation. Examples are a recent meeting of CERLALC members in Paraguay to review and discuss the new standards of the World Trade Organization in relation to the current regulations of the Florence Agreement, a regional consultation of APPREB in Thailand in August l995, and, Iater on, INTERBOOK, an international meeting of the representatives of the various networks .

Within the framework of this global approach to book development, our Section tends to support targeted initiatives which come within the responsibility of individual programme specialists.

The following represents a partial list of some of the projects and activities which are likely to be financed within the framework of UNESCO's regular programme: training for publishers, support for book fairs, purchase of books, advisory services to Member States and to non-governmental organizations, the new International Book Information Service database, promotion of the Florence Agreement and its.' Nairobi Protocol, administration of Group 92 of the ISBN system, award the newly created UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance, book sector studies, co-publication programmes, workshops for writers and illustrators, rural community centres/libraries, and a Reading for All Campaign in Africa which aims to sensitize governments and the general public to the need to target books and reading as national priorities.

Unfortunately, the above list can only provide a brief and eclectic snapshot of our work, and it might be interesting, in subsequent articles, to take a more in-depth look at some of these initiatives. For the sake of this introduction, suffice it to say that all of the activities which are undertaken by this section represent assistance to different aspects of the book sector and that, therefore, they are intended to generate awareness and positive synergism.

The role that UNESCO played 5O years ago as a world leader in promoting the advancement of books as vehicles of knowledge and information was instrumental in generating a momentum which continues today and which has been picked up by a multiplicity of organizations and institutions. And while UNESCO can no longer expect today to be the only catalyst to effect positive changes in the book world the organization, and in particular our section, has' renewed its commitment to "books for all" and community to meet the challenges that lie ahead. And they are complex and numerous.

As a result of the new technologies, the book world is changing and many of the present definitions and standards will have to be redefined. While it may not be too difficult to prove wrong the doomsday death-of-the-book theorists, the world book community will have to grapple with issues such as electronic publishing, internet and the production of CD-ROMs. To what extent will these new "book-like" products be protected by existing legal instruments such as the Florence Agreement and the various copyright conventions? Will the resent UNESCO definition of a "book", which is used as an international standard by many Member States, have to be changed'? And if so, how' and to w hat?

It is in analyzing these issues that our section looks forward to pursuing a constructive and progressive dialogue with the world book community, to sharing information, experiences and contacts and to reaffirming, once again, UNESCO commitment to searching for creative solutions to the book challenges on the eave of the third millennium.