UNESCO

Covers of the first
four titles
in the UNESCO-
HarperCollins
series on inspiring
African women,
launched in 2015.
90
New UNESCO comic strip
series on Women
in African History
In 2015, UNESCO and HarperCollins launched
the first four titles in a comic strip series
which highlights the legacy of inspiring
African women who have distinguished
themselves in the history of their continent
in areas as diverse as politics, diplomacy
and resistance against colonization, the
defence of women’s rights and environmental
protection. This series is based on the
UNESCO project Women in African History:
An E-Learning Tool, launched in 2013.
Celebrating the power of books
to share knowledge
Throughout the year, UNESCO
continued to lead the fight against
illiteracy, and to work to have it included
as a crucial ingredient of the SDGs for the
years after 2015. Books play an essential
role as invaluable platforms for freedom
of expression and formidable knowledge
transfer tools. The book industry is also
a significant driver of development.
On World Book and Copyright
Day (23 April), UNESCO celebrated
the potential of books as part of its
mandate to foster the dissemination
and preservation of knowledge. Many
book fairs, lectures, public readings,
debates and performances took place
in more than a hundred different
countries. The Organization hosted
a rich programme of activities at its
Headquarters, including a conference
on Digital Publishing for a specialized
audience. It also dedicated several
workshops, discussions and a book fair
exhibition to publishing alternatives
for the visually impaired.
World Book and Copyright Day 2015
also saw the inauguration of Incheon
(Republic of Korea) as 2015 World Book
Capital City. UNESCO bestows this title
on a city in recognition of the quality of
its programmes to promote books and
reading, and the dedication of all players
in the book industry.
On World Book Day (23 April), children
had the opportunity to experience
how visually impaired kids can read
picture books, during several workshops
animated by specialized publishers
at UNESCO Headquarters.
© UNESCO