DIK has today decided to leave IFLA

DIK has been a member of IFLA for a long time, and we fully acknowledge all the excellent work that librarians worldwide do within IFLA’s framework. However, with growing despair, we have witnessed the leadership of IFLA make one highly questionable decision after another. Decisions that violate not only DIK’s core values but also IFLA’s core values. 

There have been severe problems within the organisation, followed by disgraceful attempts to silence reports about them in the media. Several decisions were made to host the annual congress in countries with regimes that do not respect fundamental human rights, and, as of this summer, a disturbing willingness to bend and change to accommodate such regimes. 

In June, IFLA announced that the World Congress 2024 would be held in Dubai. DIK and many other organisations around the world strongly criticised the decision. The governing board of IFLA organised a referendum amongst its members. An overwhelming majority voted against hosting the congress in Dubai. Additionally, the 2023 General Assembly managed to pull the congress part out of the 2024 event in Dubai.  Still, the governing board is proceeding with the Dubai event's conference part.  

In conjunction with the referendum, it was revealed that IFLA had agreed to the host country’s demand that no LGBTQ+ issues be included in the conference program. This is disgraceful and unacceptable. This, and the decision to host the event in Dubai, completely disregards the safety of the organisation’s LGBTQ+ members (and LGBTQ+ people in general), freedom of speech, and fundamental human rights.  

IFLA’s repeated lack of concern for values that libraries around the world work hard every day to foster and maintain, combined with the past years’ severe problems within the organisation, is deeply regrettable and has reached a point where DIK can no longer, with good conscience, remain a member of the organisation.  

DIK sincerely hopes and wishes that IFLA will one day truly become a global voice for libraries, with a firm stance in its defence of the freedom of speech and fundamental human rights for all. Until then, DIK will continue to support librarians and libraries in other ways.  

Anna Troberg, Chairman of the Board, DIK (the Swedish Union for Librarians).