EIFL will join IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) and other library organizations in the series of stakeholders’ meetings during the Global Connect Initiative Conference, co-hosted by the World Bank and U.S. Department of State.

The stakeholders’ meetings take forward the work of the Dynamic Coalition for Public Access in Libraries (DC-PAL) at the Internet Government Forum.

• On 13 April, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) will host a multi-stakeholder pre-conference workshop, titled Global Connect Stakeholders: Advancing Solutions. Presentations and discussion will focus on innovative technical solutions for addressing the infrastructure challenges of providing internet access to under-developed and under-served communities and regions.
• On 14 April, stakeholders will take part in a round table discussion on public access and economic technology solutions to connect the major portion of the world's remaining four billion offline people.

EIFL has endorsed the Letter to Ministers of Finance on Global Connect initiative supporting access to information and communication technology (ICT) and broadband connectivity, and calling Global Connect’s partner countries to prioritize the inclusion of ICT in development plans.

Read the key Principles on Public Access in Libraries prepared by DC-PAL and presented at the 10th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, IGF 2015, in João Pessoa, Brazil.