UNESCO names Yerevan World Book Capital 2012

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has chosen the Armenian capital of Yerevan as the 2012 World Book Capital as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to promote books and reading. 

Armenia’s capital and largest city was chosen for the quality and variety of the programme it presented to the selection committee, which met at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris on July 2.

The selection committee brings together representatives of UNESCO and some of the main professional associations in the book industry – the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

“I congratulate the city of Yerevan, which has presented a particularly interesting programme with many different themes, including the freedom of expression, as well as several activities for children, who will be the readers and authors of tomorrow,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

“Mobilizing the entire world of books and reading, from authors to printers and publishers, will undoubtedly help to make the Yerevan programme a major success, with a sustainable impact,” she added.

The city chosen as World Book Capital holds the distinction for one year, beginning on World Book and Copyright Day, which is observed on 23 April.

Yerevan is the 12th city to be designated World Book Capital, after Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Antwerp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogotá (2007), Amsterdam (2008), Beirut (2009), Ljubljana (2010) and Buenos Aires (2011).

Every year, UNESCO and the three major international professional organizations from the world of books - the International Publishers Association (IPA), the International Booksellers Federation (IBF) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) - designate a city as World Book Capital for one year, between two consecutive celebrations of World Book and Copyright Day (23 April). This initiative is a collaborative effort between representatives of the main stakeholders in the book industry, as well as a commitment by cities to promote books and reading, said on the UNESCO web-site.