IPA expands 'global footprint' with five new members

The International Publishers Association (IPA) General Assembly has voted to admit five new national publishing organisations from Iraq, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Morocco and Senegal, to extend its "geographical and cultural footprint" broader than it has ever been in its 120-year history.

The Union of Iraqi Publishers, Ivorian Publishers Association, Mauritanian Union for Publishing & Distribution, Union of Moroccan Publishers, and Senegalese Publishers Association were today (20th October) admitted in a meeting at the Frankfurt Book Fair as provisional members, following a "unanimous" decision by the General Assembly. 

According to the IPA, its new members will bring the IPA's membership up to 64 publishers associations in 59 countries, serving in excess of 5.5bn people.

Charkin said: "Every year the IPA grows stronger and better able to execute its dual mission of promoting and defending both copyright and freedom to publish around the world. As the focal point for publishers associations from almost 60 countries, the IPA can participate in key global fora, such as WIPO, WTO and other UN agencies, and speak for the vast and complex global publishing industry with a single, coherent and compelling voice."

Dutch publisher Michiel Kolman was meanwhile formally elected incumbent Richard Charkin's replacement as president of the IPA when he steps down on 1st January 2017 at the end of his two-year term.

The International Publishers Association General Assembly, held at the Frankfurt Book Fair, also voted to admit five new members in national publishers associations from Iraq, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Morocco and Senegal, bringing the IPA's membership up to 64 publishers associations in 59 countries.

Kolman, based in Amsterdam, is the current IPA vice president and senior vice president of global academic relations at STM publisher Elsevier. He has worked in publishing for 25 years, for Elsevier in Amsterdam, Tokyo and Frankfurt, and also at Wolters Kluwer in a division now part of Springer Nature. 

Mexican publisher Hugo Setzer, c.e.o. of Manual Moderno, was elected to be the next vice president for 2017-2018 and president-designate for 2019-2020. 

"These are challenging and rapidly changing times in the world of publishing, but publishers have consistently shown themselves to be highly adaptable," Kolman said. "We will need to build on that further to achieve the IPA’s objectives, most notably the protection of copyright and freedom to publish."

Charkin said: "I know that Michiel will make an excellent President of the IPA with his global and hands-on experience of international publishing. It has been a great honour for me to be president and I’m sure Michiel will feel the same way. The role of the IPA and its president is becoming ever more important as our industry navigates the threats and opportunities of a continually changing political, technological, legal and creative landscape."