Equitable access to information is essential to prevent deepening divides—whether gender-based, generational, geographic, economic, or linguistic.

In pursuit of inclusive knowledge societies, UNESCO Information for All Programme (IFAP) presented its latest Issue Brief, Global Challenges for Information Accessibility: Key Principles and Good Practices in the Digital Age, at the Global Conference on the 2025 International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), convened in Manila on 29–30 September 2025.

This Brief, authored by the IFAP Working Group on Information Accessibility,  marks another significant contribution, building on the first issue in the series, Human Rights-Centered Global Governance of Quantum Technology.

“In the AI era, data alone is not enough. It must be processed into meaningful information and ultimately applied as knowledge to drive inclusive progress. This Issues Brief offers a timely and strategic contribution to this global imperative. Information accessibility is not a peripheral concern—it is foundational to sustainable development, whether for states, enterprises, or individuals. By championing universal design, meaningful connectivity, information integrity, transparency, inclusivity and gender equality, this Brief equips policymakers to build resilient, equitable information ecosystems for all.”

——Cordel Green Executive Director, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica; Chair of UNESCO Information for All Programme (IFAP) Working Group on Information Accessibility

“The new Issue Brief reaffirms UNESCO and IFAP’s mission to implement the Global Digital Compact and the WSIS+20 Review process by strengthening information accessibility as a digital public good - tearing down barriers, empowering individuals and communities, and equipping policymakers with clear principles to foster equitable access, societal trust, and inclusive knowledge societies where no one is left behind.”

——Guilherme CanelaDirector for Division for Digital Inclusion and Policies and Digital Transformation (CI/DPT) and Secretary of the Information for All Programme (IFAP)

In line with its Strategic Plan 2023-2029, the Issue Brief highlights how the eight key principles of universal design, meaningful connectivity, inclusivity, transparency, information integrity, legal conformity, efficiency, and flexibility intersect, in line with principles and indicators of UNESCO’s Internet Universality ROAM-X Framework. Drawing on case studies from five continents, the brief showcases good practices at national and regional levels, offering a timely contribution to the global imperative of information accessibility and guiding policymakers through the complexities of the digital age.

Xianhong Hu, Programme Specialist at the IFAP Secretariat extends the appreciation of valuable contributions from partners of IGF Dynamic Coalition on Digital Inclusion, and informs that the new Issue Brief will be presented and contribute to the 6th edition of the Artificial Intelligence for Information Accessibility (AI4IA) Conference 2025, the ICEGOV 2025, Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, IGF Policy Network on Meaningful Access (PNMA), among others.

The IFAP Issues Briefs Series is foresight-oriented, designed to track the development and implications of frontier technologies in building inclusive knowledge societies and harnessing digital public goods for sustainable development. Its purpose is to sensitize and empower Member States and other stakeholders to both seize opportunities and mitigate risks associated with these emerging technologies.