The IFLA Governing Board met online on 9 July 2025 for an extraordinary session, mainly focused on reviewing IFLA’s financial statements ahead of issuing them to our General Assembly, to be held at WLIC, in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 20 August. 

The meeting was also an opportunity to take decisions in areas relevant to the wider work of the Federation. 

Highlights of the meeting included:

  • Following the completion of the independent audit of IFLA’s accounts for 2024, the Board approved the financial statements. Importantly, IFLA has once again been given an unqualified audit. The statements will be included in the Convening Notice for our General Assembly. This will be issued to members and published on our website, and presented at the Assembly, to be held on 20 August at the World Library and Information Congress in Kazakhstan. 
  • After initial discussions in our meeting at the end of June, the Board approved a revised budget for 2025. This was necessary following the agreement with SIGL around the disbursement of the grant awarded by the Gates Foundation to support IFLA’s work.
  • The Board was updated both on progress in organising the 2025 World Library and Information Congress, as well as progress in reviewing bids for 2026 and 2027, including visits to venues. We are on course to announce both venues at this year’s Congress in Astana, with an extraordinary Board meeting on Friday 18 July to take a decision on 2026.
  • Following the elections, the Board discussed the currently open position of Chair of the Advisory Committee on Standards for 2025-2027. IFLA will be re-opening the call for nominations for this role, for which national and international association members can nominate. Otherwise, the process of filling officer roles is advancing well.
  • The Board approved a paper summarising the results of the process of reviewing IFLA Sections, following hard work over the past two years led by the Professional Council. 
  • The Board agreed to refocus IFLA’s work on protection of heritage, and close the Heritage Risk Register, which has been inactive for a number of years. It recognised that it would be more valuable to carry out more focused work, and avoid duplicating other initiatives. Future work will be led by the Advisory Committee on Cultural Heritage. 
  • The Board approved the revised Universal Bibliographic Control (UBC) Statement, which both reaffirms the importance of the Statement as a reference point, and ensures its ongoing relevance. 
  • The Board approved a new statement on Defending Inclusive Knowledge Societies, which highlights the diverse range of threats to libraries’ ability to fulfil their mission to deliver universal and meaningful access to information. This has been published on the IFLA website, and will be translated and distributed to our membership. 

Look out for the July message from IFLA President Vicki McDonald for more!