Gvantsa Jobava, Head of the Programming Committee for the Congress said: Our Congress will have a stream dedicated to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the SDGs, so we are delighted to have Ms. Fleming joining us to share her valuable insights into how publishing can support society in achieving the dramatic changes necessary for a sustainable future.

Commenting on the partnership with the Guadalajara International Book Fair, Hugo Setzer said: Guadalajara Book Fair is so special we wanted our delegates to be able to experience it for themselves during their stay in Mexico. Our thanks to the fair for supporting our Congress and making that possible with entry to the book fair included with the Congress badge.

The 34th International Publishers Congress will take place from 3-6 December 2024 in Guadalajara Mexico under the theme Turning Pages: Publishing and the Future Society. Early bird tickets and negotiated hotel rates for the 34th International Publishers Congress are on sale now at www.publisherscongress.com

Mexican author, publisher and historian Enrique Krauze is also confirmed as a keynote speaker. More speakers will be announced soon.

About the 34th International Publishers Congress

The Congress is being organized in collaboration with the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and in coordination with the Guadalajara International Book Fair. The venue of the Congress is the magnificent Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas. Further programming details will be announced in 2024 with sessions covering copyright, freedom to publish, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as focuses on trade, education and STM publishing. Through a variety of sessions from mini ‘Page Turner’ presentations, to ‘On The Same Page’ panel discussions and ‘Blank Page’ workshops, the Congress will live its theme of ‘Turning Pages: Publishing and the Future Society’ to produce concrete outcomes for the benefit of the global publishing community.

About Melissa Fleming

Since September 2019, Ms. Fleming leads the UN’s Department of Global Communications, which is responsible for informing global audiences about the state of the world and engaging them to build support for the Organization’s work and goals.

In this role, Ms. Fleming oversees the UN’s strategic communications operations, including its multilingual news and digital media services, public outreach programmes, and global campaigns.

Under her leadership, the UN Department of Global Communications engages in far-reaching efforts to address misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. She is leading on the development of a Code of Conduct for Information Integrity on Digital Platforms.

Previously, Ms. Fleming served 10 years at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as Head of Global Communications. Prior to that, she was the Spokesperson and Head of Media and Outreach at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). She also headed the Press and Public Information team at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Ms. Fleming is a TED speaker, the author of the book, A Hope More Powerful than the Sea, and the host of the award-winning UN podcast, Awake at Night. Ms. Fleming holds a Master of Science in Journalism from the College of Communication, Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in German Studies from Oberlin College.

The International Publishers Association has worked with the United Nations on the SDG Book Club for children and the SDG Publishers Compact – a 10 point pledge for publishers to commit to the SDGs in their business practices.

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/profiles/melissa-fleming 

About the International Publishers Congress

The IPA organizes the International Publishers Congress every two years in cooperation with the IPA member in the host country. The Congress offers an unrivalled platform for networking and discussion among the world’s publishers on industry challenges and opportunities.

The first International Publishers Congress was held in 1896 in Paris. This is the second time that the International Publishers Congress will come to Mexico. The last time was in Mexico City in 1984. The last International Publishers Congress was held in Jakarta, Indonesia and attracted over 600 delegates to discuss the future of publishing.

About IPA

The International Publishers Association (IPA) is the world’s largest federation of publishers associations with 101 members in 81 countries. Established in 1896, the IPA is an industry body with a human rights mandate. The IPA’s mission is to promote and protect publishing and to raise awareness of publishing as a force for economic, cultural and social development. Working in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and numerous international NGOs, the IPA champions the interests of book and journal publishing at national and supranational level. Internationally, the IPA actively opposes censorship and promotes copyright, freedom to publish (including through the IPA Prix Voltaire), and literacy.

About CANIEM

CANIEM is the Mexican Publishers Association. Founded in 1964, it represents and defends the interests of small, medium and large book, magazine and educational publishers. We are active in promoting copyright and defending the freedom to publish, as well as fostering public policies in favor of books and reading.

About AAP

The Association of American Publishers, Inc. (“AAP”) represents book, journal, and education publishers in the United States on matters of law and policy, including major commercial houses, small and independent houses, and university presses and other noncommercial scholarly publishers. The twin pillars of AAP’s advocacy are a modern and effective copyright system and freedom to publish. AAP seeks to promote an effective and enforceable framework that enables publishers to create and disseminate a wide array of original works of authorship to the public on behalf of their authors and in furtherance of informed speech and public progress.