23 April - World Book and Copyright Day (UNESCO)

20 April 2004

By celebrating this Day throughout the world, UNESCO seeks to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright. The message of the UNESCO's Director General was warmly supported by the public of Kazakhstan, on an official opening ceremony within the framework of the World Book and Copyright Day celebration. Alongside with UNESCO Almaty Office, national writers, representatives of publishing houses and outstanding figures of the culture scene have participated. This celebration have been organised by the National Library of Kazakhstan.

30 heads of the academic institutions and intelligence, 20 leading publishing houses of Kazakhstan, Central Asian and CIS authors have gifted over 1000 books for an exhibition.
Some of the books by Kazakhstan authors are being presented on exhibition in Kazakh and Russian languages, reflecting a wide social orientation:

N.Nodirov, " We are Kurds of Kazahstan"
M.Serdalin "The Legacy of Life"
D.Kshibekov "Speech and Writing"
D.Doszhan, " Life on the end of needles"
S.Sartaev - 9 various books.

The first lady of Kyrgyzstan M.Akaeva has granted the book "At hope there is no Night". The Russian Federation has transferred 860 books honouring the 'one year of Russia' in Kazakhstan. The series of English books were granted by representatives of the World Bank Office in Kazakhstan.
On the round table scheduled by agenda, publishers, authors and representatives of the international organizations discussed the broad range of questions on financial, legal and administrative issues concerning the publishing process in close connection with education, science and culture.
The National Committee's chairman of the program Memory of World, Ms Zarema Shaimardanova, has paid special attention to the valuable digital heritage of publishers and print media products. Regarding that, she offered electronic resources from the National Library in orther to preserve digital form copies of books and publications, assuming the international standards and recommendations for preservation of a digital heritage.
Some statements:
"Plenty of books issued today in the world, work on spirituality, however there is also other stream of the information destroying it. In this regard, the role of libraries strongly grows, as they help to focus the reader on the good literature" national writer,Mr Mukhtar Shakhanov said.

"When I am abroad, I search for books of modern Kazakhstan writers in foreign languages. Unfortunately our writers are insufficiently represented in the world" Dulat Isabekov, Kazak writer informed.

"Books copying is the big problem of a publishing house. It is necessary to increase circulation even up to 10000 copies, instead of 1000. That is why the state grant is necessary for the publishing houses" Mr Anes Garifulla president of publishing house "Arys"informed.

" Piracy in Kazakhstan have been first known in 1999. At that time I suggested the Ministry of Education to promote modern writers publishing as the existing text books and encyclopedias were basically work of dead writers. Then authors were not interested on being printed, as fees either were not paid, or were late, and copyrights were frequently broken" Maral Yskakpayev, the chairman of National Copyrights Agency affirmed.

"Absence of trading squares in Kazakhstan is a global problem. In Germany,the rate of book shops per population is 60 out of 10000, being 1 out of 60000 in Russia,and Kazakhstan considerably lagging behind. State assistance to the installation of an appropriate trading square might solve a lot of the above mentioned problems" stated Mr Serik Toktobulatov, the president of trading firm "Economics"

"One of the important factors in the development of publishing becomes the international cooperation;in that area UNESCO holds a wide expertising. Contacts facilitation with international publishing organizations, increases the capacity of publishers to cooperate and coordinate with appropriate state bodies, through trainings and exchanges. In the sphere of international standards, it creates conditions for normalization in the publishing process while raising the authors' motivation to write new books" S.Karpov Communications and Information NPO, UNESCO Almaty Office informed.