The Association of University Presses (AUPresses) has signed the International Statement on the Freedom of Expression, and the Freedoms to Read and Publish, underlining the essential and interconnected nature of these freedoms and joining with other signatories to urge governments and citizens to ensure these freedoms are respected in law and in practice.
As the statement asserts:
True freedom to read means being able to choose from the broadest range of books sharing the widest range of ideas.
Subject to the limits set by international human rights law and standards, authors must have guaranteed freedom of expression.
And for booksellers and librarians to present the broadest range of written works, there must be the freedom to publish.
“The three freedoms so eloquently outlined as essential to enlightened citizenship are at the heart of AUPresses core value of intellectual freedom, and pillars of an open and just society,” said Peter Berkery, AUPresses Executive Director. “Our global community of mission-driven scholarly publishers and the authors that they nurture and publish have valuable roles to play in their defense, along with booksellers and libraries, among other esteemed partners around the world.”
The International Publishers Association, of which AUPresses is an Associate Member; PEN International; the European and International Booksellers Federation; the International Authors Forum; and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions are founding signatories of this statement.