World Book and Copyright Day, celebrated annually on April 23rd, is historically linked to a long-standing tradition in Catalonia, Spain.
This tradition, associated with "St. George's Day," involves gifting a rose alongside the purchase of a book—a symbolic cultural gesture bridging the gap between emotion and wisdom. In 1995, building upon this heritage and aiming to draw global attention to the importance of publishing, UNESCO officially designated this day on the international calendar. This designation goes beyond mere ceremonial aspects, focusing on two primary pillars: first, promoting a culture of reading as a tool for public awareness, and second, emphasizing the legal necessity of safeguard
the intellectual property rights of creators. For regional organizations active in the cultural sphere, this occasion provides an opportunity to review the status of access to knowledge and examine literacy challenges in regions that possess a rich documentary heritage and influential classic texts.
Within the framework of these global policies, UNESCO launched the "World Book Capital" initiative at the beginning of the 21st century. Under this program, a city is selected for a one-year period based on its proposed programs to promote books and reading. In 2026, the city of Rabat, Morocco, holds this title, focusing its efforts on developing the publishing industry and fostering a reading culture. These international models serve as inspiring frameworks within the ECO region to strengthen the position of intellectual products and support local publishers. In this regard, member states typically utilize this period to review their interactions through "Book Diplomacy," incorporating themes such as the exchange of translation rights, professional literary criticism, and the analysis of emerging transformations in the international publishing structure into their cultural agendas.
One of the operational aspects of this high-level cooperation is the periodic meetings of the Heads of National Libraries of ECO Member States. These summits serve as a platform for exchanging technical expertise in specialized fields such as modern methods of preserving manuscripts, resource digitization, and the integration of library standards. The reality is that national libraries in this region, moving beyond their traditional role as book repositories, bear the responsibility of preserving documentary heritage and reclaiming cultural identities. In this context, the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI), acting as the coordinating body for these interactions, focuses primarily on creating platforms for synergy among these institutions and providing information to facilitate researchers' access to shared resources. This, in turn, fosters opportunities for dialogue and knowledge exchange among the scientific communities and cultural elites of the member states.
The future outlook for books in the ECO region is directly influenced by the transition from traditional methods to modern tools. In the contemporary era, digital transformation and changes in content consumption behaviors have turned the protection of copyright in cyberspace into a technical and legal imperative. Research indicates that formulating legal frameworks for intellectual property is a key variable in the growth of intellectual and literary creations and the improvement of the quality of cultural productions. Prioritizing the book as a strategic variable in cultural policymaking reflects the view that the stability and development of societies are inextricably linked to the level of public awareness and access to reliable information.
World Book Day serves as a reminder that in today’s challenging world, libraries and publishing centers remain the primary hubs for the production of Soft Power. They are the resilient bridges that link nations' shared understanding of the universe, bequeathing a legacy of wisdom and peace to future generations.