HLPF Perspectives: Loida Garcia Febo, Member, IFLA Governing Board

Last week, we shared an overview of our engagement at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum 2024, focused on building awareness of and support for the work of libraries as development actors. Complementing this, and as part of our drive to share more about the work of our Governing Board members, we’re happy to offer a personal perspective from Loida Garcia Febo, one of the GB representatives on the delegation.   

Greetings my name is Loida Garcia-Febo. I am a member of the IFLA Governing Board and the Chair of the Management of Library Associations Section also known as MLAS. First of all, I want to thank all library associations members of IFLA for their membership and for their commitment. All library associations members of IFLA are also by default members of MLAS. It is an honor to work with MLAS members to strengthen library associations worldwide.

Why are we engaged at the United Nations?

Libraries worldwide are essential to development and are showing the power of libraries in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I am very proud of the work I have done together with other IFLA members during the last ten years to make libraries visible at the United Nations with the countries and with civil society groups represented at the UN.

My advocacy at the UN on behalf of IFLA and libraries started ten years ago when I represented IFLA at the first program libraries held at the United Nations Headquarters in NY. That was at the beginning of the Open Working Group that coordinated what became the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Fast forward to 2023, it was an honor to represent IFLA and advocate for culture as part of the SDGs at a High-level interactive dialogue on Culture  and Sustainable Development convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly in partnership with UNESCO titled “Culture as a global public good: Filling SDG implementation gaps beyond 2030.” For more historical facts about ”IFLA and librarians’ impact at the United Nations” you can read my essay on the CPDWL Blog.

This year, I attended my third High Level Political Forum. I joined meetings hosted by different countries and civil society to share the work of libraries to move forward sustainability, joined a campaign to support SDG16NOW, was part of the first meeting towards the Friends of Libraries at the UN which was amazing to bring to fruition an idea originated at the HLPF 2023- and as Chair of IFLA MLAS published two Infographics to highlight how library associations are aligned with UN efforts and the contributions of library associations to the SDGs.

MLAS publications

The HLPF 2024 is my third HLPF with an IFLA delegation. My engagement started before the HLPF and continued after it. Prior to the HLPF, MLAS published a graphic to show how MLAS and Library Associations are Aligned with United Nations efforts: the High Level Political Forum and the upcoming Summit of the Future “Library Associations Future-Proofing for Global Challenges: Strategies and Innovations.”

After the HLPF, MLAS published an Infographic showing the engagement of MLAS Chair and one of our members who is from Namibia at the HLPF, our MLAS webinars to support library associations work related to the SDGs and the graphic we published before the HLPF: “Library Associations Contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

My engagement at the HLPF2024

As part of my participation as a delegate to the HLPF2023 we started to discuss an idea from a Governing Board member from Ireland for a Friends of Libraries group at the UN. This year that idea came to fruition and as part of the IFLA delegates, I was pleased to be part of the first coordinating meeting for Friends of Libraries at the Argentinean mission with the collaboration of the Irish Mission.

During the ten years I have advocated at the UN, I have established good working relationships with many groups from civil society and the UN Major Groups. These groups and many of the missions are very aware of the libraries’ delegation. This year, I joined the Orientation meeting of the UN Major Groups  to strengthen those links which are very important to have strong multilateral and cross-sectoral relationships to advocate together for common goals.

I also attended two events about the SDG16NOW campaign: a strategy meeting and the launch of the campaign championing Goal 16 about peaceful, just and inclusive societies which includes access to information also championed by IFLA at the UN.

I joined many meetings including one hosted by The Netherlands and civil society groups about the importance of the localization of the UN SDGs and I spoke about the resources created by the ALA UN SDG Task Force I chaired to help libraries move forward sustainability efforts at local levels to benefit the communities they serve.

In the USA, the American Library Association established the IRC UN SDG Subcommittee to collaborates with ALA divisions, round tables, committees and membership, and US library associations in the implementation of the multi-year strategic plan to increase participation by libraries in efforts to achieve the Goals. Through the Subcommittee we have collaborated with IFLA providing stories about how libraries are furthering digital connectivity in communities.

During the HLPF 2023, ALA and IFLA presented two events featuring libraries and librarians serving indigenous populations and libraries supporting women empowerment and during the UN General Assembly 2023, both collaborated again to present an event featuring library services to indigenous populations. We have plans to coordinate an event for the days of the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

Overall, the highlights of the HLPF 2024 included First- strengthening the presence of libraries at the United Nations, and the links between librarians and their governments asserting the power of libraries as key players to move forward development and support efforts related to priorities mentioned by the UN Vice Secretary General: the world needs peace, we need to advance digital transitions including AI, digital connectivity, we need an ambitious climate action plan and access to education skills to support workers.

Next highlights- developing the concept conceived last year about a Friends of Libraries at the United Nations which is wonderfully supported by the missions of Argentina and Ireland, and active participation in meetings with various countries and civil society groups to join UN campaigns, and exchanges of strategies to continue advancing the SDGs and sustainability.

We were successful at the United Nations. Thank you for supporting IFLA and our work.