Archivists on the Issues is a forum for archivists to discuss the issues we are facing today. Today’s post comes from Burkely Hermann, Metadata Librarian for the National Security Archive and current I&A Blog Coordinator. This post does not represent the views or positions of the Issues & Advocacy committee or National Security Archive. The views expressed here are the views of Mr. Hermann, and are not the views of any other individuals or organizations.
Recently, there has been a hullabaloo on social media about the location of The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)’s World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in 2024. Set to occur in Dubai, the most-populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and capital of the Dubai Emirate, it was panned on social media as willfully ignorant, divisive, disappointing, embarrassing, spineless, craven, shameful, disgusting, disregarding queer librarians, driven by money, and resulting in a conference attended by “mostly bigots and…centrists.” Others criticized it as undemocratic, since the IFLA’s own press release showed majority opposition among those voting on the resolution, especially those from “Europe, North America…Latin America and the Caribbean”. Some proposed that the conference could be held any other location in the region that wasn’t hostile and “outwardly dangerous…to human rights,” stated they would not join the IFLA as a result, called for a boycott on the conference, or fumed that the decision was being blamed by the IFLA on members from “Asia-Oceania, the Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.” It appeared there were a small number in favor, who seemed excited that IFLA’s conference was coming to their country, but it is not known how representative that is, as such individuals appear to be outliers. [1]
What is not talked about as much is the congress/conference of the International Council on Archives (ICA) in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, set for October 9 to October 13. Official materials call it a “unique chance” to network with fellow archivists and a place to promote the “best examples” of achievement in archival and records management. The ICA claims it will be somewhere where archivists can connect with professionals across the world to build networks to empower our “knowledge societies,” all under the “hospitality of Abu Dhabi.” Considering the response to the IFLA conference, I have to ask whether the ICA conference is, rather than being some networking opportunity, a slap in the face for queer people and unsafe for those people? It is an indication of the non-neutrality of archives and un-representative nature of the ICA? Should the conference, due to its location, be boycotted? [2] In this post, I’ll answer those questions and explain why the ICA’s reasoning is flawed, and talk about the deeper problems with this conference, which go beyond the conference taking place somewhere that is hostile to queer people.
Much of the opposition to the IFLA’s conference appeared to center around lack of rights in the UAE for queer people, more than any other reason. There was some mention of how the location went against the IFLA’s own values. Some called for a new location in a “developing country”. There are further problems with the ICA’s choice of Abu Dhabi as the conference location. It’s not the focus on climate change, sustainability, accessibility (of information), memory work, peace, and tolerance, nor even the theme of enriching “knowledge societies,” which are welcome. Rather it is that the conference is tied directly to the UAE’s government. One speaker, Abdulla Majed Al-Ali, currently Director General of the UAE’s National Library and Archives, formerly worked for Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism. He also worked in the country’s armed forces. Another speaker, Dr. Abdullah Al Raisi, chair of the ICA’s conference organizing committee, was formerly director general of that archives. That institution has a message from the UAE’s Vice President, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy head of state of the entire country, on its website. The archives declares that safeguarding documents is an important responsibility of a “sovereign, enlightened state,” notes the importance of improved archiving to preserve the nation’s history, and states that this archives will reinforce the concept of “institutionalization and enhance[d] national identity.” [3]
That isn’t all. The UAE’s National Library and Archives is directly involved in fostering nationalism, instilling loyalty, values, and virtues of the UAE’s founder, Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and “enhancing national identity.” Other pages state that the archives aims to enhance civic spirit. One individual working there even did public relations for Dubai’s Crown Prince. This goes beyond the archives’ objective to preserve the country’s history, duties, and agreements/partnerships/memberships in various international organizations. The institution’s approach appears to be very nationalistic. It is reinforced in part by having the National Records & Archives Authority, which focuses on preserving the “antique history” of Oman in an effort to “build a brighter future,” as an exhibitor and even more by having the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau as a conference sponsor. The latter is an issue primarily because the Bureau aims to champion the Abu Dhabi Emirate, one of the country’s seven emirates (all are in a constitutional federation), as a “dynamic global business events leader.” [4]
Surely, like the IFLA’s executives, some from ICA will defend this location choice. They may point to exhibitors such as non-profits like Al Ghadeer Emirati Crafts, or companies like Rookie Ninja, Phase One Photo, Clarivate, and Artefactual. They might point out that the Emirates News Agency is wholeheartedly supporting the conference, note that participants would join a “global community of archivists and industry professionals,” or note that you can visit interesting local sites (there is even a special program for one’s spouse or partner). These executives could says the country as tourist-friendly and “world-renowned for its social and modern environment.” They might declare that the conference can be a great business opportunity to reach a global audience, point to the expansive program with many topics and sessions, the conference’s sub-themes, or other features.
All of this ignores the fact that FamilySearch, a genealogical arm of the Mormons, uses prison labor to index records, as I’ve previously written about on this blog is a sponsor. Xerox, EXPM, Artefactual, NVSSoft, Zeutschel, and Nirvana Travel and Tourism are sponsors as well. Also, former French President Francois Hollande is a keynote speaker. [5] On the one hand, he supported the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption for LGBTQ+ couples, which passed the French National Assembly in 2013. On the other, he strongly supported the U.S.-backed Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, which began in March 2015, and militarily intervened in a former French colony, Mali, from January 2013 to July 2014, obstinately to fight Islamic extremism, but also to protect “French interests” in the country, with a continued French military operation until November 2022. [6]
This conference is nothing to look forward to (as Preservica declared), praise, be grateful for, or treat it like just another conference, which was decided upon by the ICA sometime before November 2022. Is it possible to experience “Arabian hospitality” or “discover new horizons” in a country hosting this “cultural heritage” event which is strongly supported by UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan? [7] This conference is clearly positioned to promote the UAE, whitewashing its problematic elements. The U.S. State Department’s latest human rights report, not an unbiased source by any measure, on the country, cites “credible reports” of arbitrary detention and arrest, privacy invasions, media and free expression restrictions, internet freedom limits, unfair and unfree elections, curtailed political participation, criminalization of same-sex consensual actions between adults, and prohibition on independent trade unions. This conference will, without a doubt, boost the country’s role as a regional “trade and investment hub,” support the country’s desire to attract additional foreign direct investment, and push to shift the country’s economy to a so-called “knowledge economy” in the next ten years. [8]
Ultimately, the ICA is shilling for the government of UAE. Its assessment of the UAE is no better than the country’s self-submitted Universal Periodic Review reports to the U.N. Human Rights Council. The official site for the conference boasts that the UAE is “ideal tourist destination,” declares that women have equal rights to men, and calls for modest dressing, especially in religious areas, and recommends visitors respect the “Muslim values of the local community.” While some of this makes sense, the description misrepresents the UAE as a rosy place. It boggles the mind that any of the other 21 Arab states, or any other states in Asia, Oceania, Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, or North Africa, were not chosen as a conference location instead. [9]
There is only one response to this decision by the ICA: to boycott the conference in Abu Dhabi and encourage sponsors, like Preservica, to pull out. This call is not Arabphobic, Islamophobic, nor does it engage in what some call “homonationalism“. Many governments in the Middle East have laws infringing upon LGBTQ+ rights, either due to religious conservative governments and/or holdover laws from colonial control. In the case of the UAE, although it was under British control between 1820 to 1971, the Arab rulers were nominally independent. They could “keep the peace,” with arbitration of disputes through the British, to abstain from relations with other European countries, while the British committed to providing the rulers, and their governments, with protection against any “unprovoked foreign aggression,” but did not interfere within the countries. This ended when the United Arab Emirates was formed in December 1971, ending the unofficial British colonies in the Persian Gulf region. [10]
As such, the homophobic laws of the UAE do not have roots in colonialism, but in the country’s legislative history. They include capital punishment for male-male and female-female sexual intercourse, punishments for sex “outside marriage” and cross-dressing, while gender reassignment surgery appears to be illegal (or hard to obtain). This “conservative” and regional hub for tourism reportedly allows lesbian or gay relationships under decriminalization of cohabitation by unmarried couples, in 2021. It is not known whether this is enforced evenly or if such relationships are socially accepted by residents. Previously, it has been reported that the country’s authorities investigated a children’s magazine which depicted a “multi-coloured character” with claims that it promoted homosexuality, resulting in its retraction. The UAE also refused to air Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (possibly because some saw Gwen Stacy as trans) in the country or films like Lightyear (for a kiss between lesbian characters). [11]
Even Arab countries like Bahrain, Djibouti, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria have better legal strictures toward queer people than UAE, even though they still are restrictive. The conference’s current location in Abu Dhabi runs afoul of the ICA’s own mission stating that archives are fundamental to “identity, democracy, accountability and good governance.” How is accountability and democracy possible when the conference is a vehicle for the country’s government to promote its interests? Will any criticism of the government be allowed? Or will it be discouraged to not annoy and anger the government? Will any topics about LGBTQ+ sessions be allowed? The IFLA said that the latter was not possible and admitted that homosexuality is not recognized by the UAE constitution “and therefore illegal.” [12] A well thought-out thread on X/Twitter by Naomi House opposing the location of the IFLA’s conference in Dubai argued that conferences need to be inclusive (already in-person conferences exclude many in the library field from participating) of all members, stated that this location has laws endangering many with “encoded legal bigotry,” and called for online conferences which are safe for all groups and members. The same logic can be applied to this ICA conference.
Considering that the ICA has invested time, and money, into this conference, its sponsors, and location, it is extremely unlikely it will be reversed. The fact that the conference is in the UAE is indicative that the values of the ICA do not matter when money, prestige, and influence win out over common sense. Whether “true universality and inclusiveness” can exist isn’t the issue, but rather that sets a bad precedent that only countries like the UAE “can afford to host.” It may hint at “institutional homophobia” of the ICA, and a stance against inclusion and diversity, all of which was said in opposition to the IFLA’s decision. Those in favor of this choice will declare that it will foster community spirit between archivists across the world, claim it will be “unforgettable,” joyful, or even say that the conference will enrich the “UAE’s society and the fields of documentation and archiving.” [13] Having the conference in the UAE will weaken any (likely underground) efforts, by those on the ground, to improve lives for LGBTQ+ people within the country, by legitimizing the country’s laws, hurting any possibility of change.
Some months ago, a LinkedIn message from Sara, the for the conference, strangely extended a special invitation through a LinkedIn message to the National Security Archive (NSA), even though I’m not a manager there. She declared that NSA has widely recognized expertise, advancing historical research, and promoting transparency. She tried to convince me by saying that discussions at the conference would be enriched by NSA’s participation, claiming that the event would be influential, exceptional, and highly anticipated, and make history as taking place in the “Middle East for the first time ever.” [14] This marketing effort could be why a search for the words “ica abu dhabi” is dominated by tweets from the official account on X/Twitter for the conference, and very few responses from anyone else. Recent tweets make this clear. One tweet only a couple days ago from Piql claiming that the conference will be the “world’s biggest archiving event.”
All these arguments ignore the unsustainable nature of the UAE. A supermajority of the country’s energy comes from petroleum, coal, and natural gas, and only a small sliver coming from solar, wind, and biofuels, according to the International Energy Agency. The Energy Information Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, adds that the country is energy-intensive since it is one of the largest petroleum producers in the world. Their assessment states that the UAE economy is fueled largely by “natural gas…petroleum and other liquids.” Hosting the conference in the UAE stands against at least four of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, [15] which the IFLA claimed they followed. It is also why some have argued that the hosting of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP-28) in the UAE from November 30 to December 12 of this year is a form of greenwashing. The country hired PR companies to promote itself as the COP-28 head, pay users to clean the Wikipedia page of the COP-28 president (Sultan Al Jaber), run promotional campaigns on social platforms, polish its “green credentials,” and preparation of a list covering “touchy and sensitive issues”. [16]
Those supporting Abu Dhabi as the conference location may echo arguments of library associations in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and elsewhere in the region which supported Dubai as the IFLA conference location. They supported the decision as a positive opportunity for Arab librarians and libraries, and for other reasons. As such, it makes sense there is positive sentiment by those individuals and groups toward this conference. Furthermore, there is value in standing against “historical biases towards Western countries” when choosing conference locations. [17] However, hosting the conference in the UAE makes it unlikely there would be open exchange of ideas, especially due to human rights violations, including about migrant workers and other individuals, within the country. In addition, the choice of Abu Dhabi by the ICA and Dubai by the IFLA stands against established principles of each organization. Both serve as promotional opportunities for the UAE. They whitewash the country’s reality.
The conference’s location in the UAE is interlinked with discussions about colonialism, Western imposition of values onto other parts of the world, and racism, at minimum. While archivists obviously cannot address this in one fell swoop, there is something that can be done at the present: boycotting both conferences. This should be accompanied with advocacy for a safer and more inclusive virtual/online conference. It could avoid librarians, or archivists, fighting among one other over a conference location, where nationalism comes to the fore, especially the case with the division between those opposing or supporting the IFLA conference’s location. Archivists should express these views on social media and directly to the ICA and IFLA management.
Notes
[1] See the IFLA’s press release on August 11, 2023, entitled “IFLA Governing Board decides on WLIC 2024” and tweets from Violet Fox, Annie Pho (past president of Asian Pacific American Librarians Association and Library Juice Press editor), Lauren Crossett, Valerie Hawkins, Tara Donnelly, Alex Brown, Niall O’Brien, Naomi House (see here and here), Mike Cosgrave, Liam Hogan, Siân Woolcock, Martin O’Connor, Alison Harding, Rob Bittner, Andrea Dillion, Karen Steiger, Ferran Burguillos, Franck Garot, Jamie Finch, Alan Carbery, Isalline, David Wright, Ric Paul, COBDC, Barbara Band, Peter Coles, Matthew Noe, Imogen Negomi, Richard Neil, Jo Wood, Cathal McCauley, Jo Harcus, Caroline Ball, Brendan Teeling, Lyn Robinson, Omorodion Okuonghae, Lesley Pitman, Scott Walter, Felicity Jupiler, Rob Thomson, Tarry MacDonald, CILIP Library and Information History Group, Stuart Dempster, and many others here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. For those in favor, see tweets from Adegbilero Idowu and Dr. Bashayer Alrandi (also see here).
[2] “About the ICA Congress,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “ICA CONGRESS ABU DHABI 2023,” LinkedIn, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; and see tweets by Larry the Librarian, Louise Cooke-Escapil, Queer Library Alliance, Naomi House, Jennifer Bayjoo, and Piu Martinez, along with a tweet by ICA Congress Abu Dhabi here.
[3] See ICA tweets here, here, and here; tweets by Meg Phillips, Vice President of Programmes at ICA here and here; tweet by ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023 here and here; “Biography of Director General of the UAE National Library and Archives,” UAE National Library and Archives, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “SDAA, National Archives enhance strategic partnership,” Emirates News Agency, Oct. 20, 2020; “His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Message,” UAE National Library and Archives, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; the Library Association of Ireland’s “Response to the announcement by IFLA that Dubai, United Arab Emirates will host the 2024 IFLA World Library and Information Congress” statement, BibliotequesBCN‘s thread ending here, and my conversation with Piu Martinez ending here, my mention of the conference here, and my open support of a boycott here.
[4] “Travel Information,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Chairman of the National Library and Archives’ Board of Directors Message,” UAE National Library and Archives, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Vision, Mission & Values,” UAE National Library and Archives, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “About Us,” UAE National Library and Archives, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Our Duties,” UAE National Library and Archives, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Biographies,” UAE National Library and Archives,” accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Memberships/Partnerships/Agreements,” UAE National Library and Archives,” accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Halls of the National Library and Archives,” UAE National Library and Archives,” accessed Aug. 15, 2023; tweets by ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023 here and here; “Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau,” Experience Abu Dhabi, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Exhibitors,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023.
[5] See tweets by ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023 here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here; posts on the ICA Congress Abu Dhabi LinkedIn page here and here; “Sponsors,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Travel Information,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Delegate Site Visit,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Spouse/Partner Program,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Exhibiting Opportunities,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Programme,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Authors and sessions chair – ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Description of sub-themes,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “ICA Congress Bursary Program,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; “Hackathon,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; tweet by UAE National Library and Archives here.
[6] “The Role Of The Colonizer: France’s Intervention In Mali,” NPR, Feb. 4, 2013; Porter, Bernard, “Mali intervention: when former imperial powers step in,” The Guardian, Jan. 13, 2013; “French Intervention in Mali: Causes and Consequences,” Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, Jan. 20, 2013; “France calls time on anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane in Sahel, ” BBC News, Nov. 9, 2022; Kane, Papa Samba. “The French colonial designs in Mali,” Al Jazeera, Aug. 22, 2019; Timothy Robbins, Hijab Shah, and Melissa Dalton, “U.S. Support for Saudi Military Operations in Yemen,” CSIS, Mar. 23, 2018; Reidel, Bruce. “A brief history of America’s troubled relationship with Yemen,” Brookings Institution, Oct. 22, 2018; “France voices support for Saudi campaign in Yemen,” France24, Dec. 4, 2015; “Pressure mounts on Western powers to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia,” France24, Aug. 23, 2016.
[7] See “Overview of ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023; tweets by EXPM, Preservica, Nicola Laurent (here, here, and here), and others here, here, here, along with tweet by the ICA here; tweets by ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023 here and here; posts on the ICA Congress Abu Dhabi LinkedIn page here and here. The first time the #ICACongressAbuDhabi hashtag was used on X/Twitter was on November 30, 2022.
[8] “2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: United Arab Emirates,” Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. State Department, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “2023 Investment Climate Statements: United Arab Emirates,” Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. State Department, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “Market Overview,” International Trade Association, U.S. Department of Commerce, Jul. 26, 2022.
[9] “Results of the WLIC 2024 Advisory Referendum and Volunteer Survey,” IFLA, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “Universal Periodic Review – United Arab Emirates,” U.N. Human Rights Council, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “Travel Information,” ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, accessed Aug. 15, 2023. As I noted back in April, late Lebanese-American scholar and journalist Jack G. Shaheen in one of his seminal works, Reel Bad Arabs, defines Arabs as the hundreds of millions of people who reside in, and the millions around the world in the diaspora, from 22 Arab states: Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. One of the problems with the IFLA survey is that it does not say WHY people in regions defined as “Asia-Oceania,” “Middle East and North Africa,” and “Sub-Saharan Africa” supported Dubai as the conference location.
[10] “Trucial States in 1914,” The National Archives (UK), accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “Sharjah: the Gate to Trucial States,” UNESCO, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; Rizvi, Kishwai. “Eve Arnold in the Trucial States: The United Arab Emirates before Federation,” Platform, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “United Arab Emirates,” Secret deals ending Britain’s control in Gulf revealed,” BBC News, Aug. 30, 2022; “United Arab Emirates,” National Postal Museum, Smithsonian Institution, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “Barut, Slave Governor of Kalba,” British Library, Mar. 3, 2016. For more, see Tancred Bradshaw’s book, The End of Empire in the Gulf: From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates, and Rosemarie Said Zahlan’s book, The Origins of the United Arab Emirates: A Political and Social History of the Trucial States. On the interconnection of colonialism and homophobic laws, especially in former British colonies, see “Colonialism, homophobia and the legality of gay sex in the Commonwealth,” “From colonialism to ‘kill the gays’: The surprisingly recent roots of homophobia in Africa,” “Resisting Homophobia: The Colonial Origins of Anti-Gay Laws,” “How Britain’s colonial legacy still affects LGBT politics around the world,” and even the 2008 report from Human Rights Watch entitled “This Alien Legacy: The Origins of “Sodomy” Laws in British Colonialism.”
[11] “Federal Decree Law No. (15) of 2020 Amending Certain Provisions of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987 Concerning the Penal Code,” UAE Ministry of Justice, p. 3; Torchia, Christopher. “Foreign couple arrested in UAE for unwed sex is released,” Associated Press, Mar. 10, 2017; Roberts, Rachel. “Couple arrested in the United Arab Emirates for ‘having sex outside marriage’,” The Independent, Mar. 8, 2017; Bamford, Emma. “Dubai court suspends jail term for beach sex couple,” The Independent, Nov. 26, 2008; “UAE jails Singapore pair for wearing women’s clothes,” BBC News, Aug. 24, 2017; Arafah, Adel. “Officials lambast capitals gay party youth,” Khaleej Times, Nov. 24, 2022; Boone, Jon. “What not to do in Dubai as a tourist,” The Independent, Oct. 13, 2017; Irish, John. “Dubai court hears French boy’s rape testimony,” Reuters, Nov. 7, 2007; Gardner, Frank. “Dubai closes club after gay night,” BBC News, Apr. 1, 2001; ZaZa, Bassam. “Two men jailed for consensual sex,” Gulf News, Apr. 10, 2012; Molloy, Parker Marie. “Brazilian Trans Women Detained in Dubai for ‘Imitating Women’,” The Advocate, Jan. 24, 2014;Gigi Gorgeous Was Allegedly Detained In Dubai Airport Because She’s Trans,” HuffPost, Aug. 10, 2016; “UAE rejects three transgender Emirati women’s bid for gender status change,” Al Arabiya News, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; Moukhallati, Dana. “New UAE law does not legalise sex change,” The National, Sept. 26, 2016; Singh, Namita. “UAE children’s magazine accused of promoting homosexuality with ‘gay issue’,” The Independent, Jun. 2022; “UAE retracts issue of children magazine after claims of ‘promoting homosexuality’,” The New Arab, Jun. 27, 2022; Hirwani, Peony. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse banned in UAE,” The Independent, Jun. 16, 2023; Mehta, Ashish. “New UAE laws: Is it illegal to be romantically involved with a married woman?,” Khaleej Times, Dec. 12, 2021; “The cohabitation of unmarried couples was recently decriminalised in the UAE,” The Law Reporters, Nov. 6, 2021; Cornwall, Alexander. “UAE bans Disney-Pixar film over same-sex relationship characters,” Reuters, Jun. 13, 2022; Turak, Natasha. “United Arab Emirates bans Pixar’s new Buzz Lightyear movie from theaters,” CNBC, Jun. 14, 2022; Gambrell, Jon. “United Arab Emirates bans Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ from showing,” Associated Press, Jun. 13, 2022. Interestingly, the UAE let Barbie air despite the transgender character and feminist themes, following a month-long delay.
[12] “WLIC 2024: Briefing Paper to the Advisory Referendum,” IFLA, Jul. 2023. The same document noted that the IFLA previously chose Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a city in “a country with restrictive policies on same-sex sexual acts,” but they went through with it anyhow. They also admitted that “many LGBTQ+ potential delegates may feel unsafe or anxious” as a result of the conference location in UAE, answering the concern of one user, among others like here.
[13] See tweets by ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023 (see here and here), UAE National Library and Archives (see here, here, here, here, here, and here), Abu Dhabi Media Office, Andrew Asasiira, Maxwell Otte, Patrick Vanhoucke, Lesley Pitman, and CILIP Library and Information History Group; “Statement from the CILIP Library and Information History Group (LIHG) on the choice of Dubai for the 2024 IFLA World Library and Information Congress and subsequent Briefing Paper to the Advisory Referendum,” CILIP, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; “VOB staat niet achter WLIC 2024 in Dubai” [VOB is not behind WLIC 2024 in Dubai] (in Dutch), Bibliotheekblad, Aug. 11, 2023; “IFLA entscheidet: Weltkongress 2024 wird in Dubai stattfinden” [IFLA decides: World Congress 2024 will take place in Dubai] (in German), BuB, Aug. 11, 2023; Gordan, Rebecca. “Majoritet emot bibliotekskongress i Dubai – men Ifla står fast vid beslutet” [Majority against library congress in Dubai – but Ifla stands by the decision] (in Swedish), magasin K, Aug. 15, 2023; “Beslutet: Bibliotekskongressen hålls i Dubai trots kritiken” [The decision: The Library Congress is held in Dubai despite the criticism] (in Swedish), svt nyheter, Aug. 11, 2023; “Malgré l’opposition des associations, l’IFLA choisit Dubaï” [Despite association opposition, IFLA chooses Dubai] (in French), Actualitte, Aug. 14, 2023; Parker, Susan. “ARL Statement on IFLA Congress in Dubai,” Association of Research Libraries, Aug. 1, 2023.
[14] I never responded to her message, as it appeared to be spam, and may send her a message back after publishing this article.
[15] Specifically the goals “Affordable and Clean Energy”, “Decent Work and Economic Growth”, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”, “Responsible Consumption and Production”, and possibly “Climate Action”, with stated UN action toward these goals and others. The UAE claims that they are committed to ” achieve sustainable development…sustainable governance…[and] adopting consumption and production methods that enhance the quality of life of the present and future generations,” but alternate energies are not even listed on the page.
[16] Michaelson, Ruth and Patrick Greenfield, “UAE using role as Cop28 host to lobby on its climate reputation,” The Guardian, No. 26, 2022; Stockton, Nick. “Cop28 president’s team accused of Wikipedia ‘greenwashing’,” The Guardian, May 30, 2023; Carrington, Damian. “Army of fake social media accounts defend UAE presidency of climate summit,” The Guardian, Jun. 8, 2023; Hiar, Corbin and Zack Colman, “An oil state hired the biggest PR firms to buff its climate image. It didn’t help,” Politico, Jun 7. 2023; Carrington, Damian. “Leak reveals ‘touchy’ issues for UAE’s presidency of UN climate summit,” The Guardian, Aug. 1, 2023; Also see Amy Westervelt’s “So what if fossil fuel lobbyists have to declare themselves at Cop28? That won’t curb their power“.
[17] “Bestuur KVAN besluit geen afvaardiging te sturen naar congres ICA 2023 in Abu Dhabi,” [Board of KVAN decides not to send a delegation to the ICA 2023 conference in Abu Dhabi] (in Dutch), KVAN, May 5, 2023; “L’AAC comunica la decisió de no assistir al Congrés ICA Abu Dhabi 2023” [The AAC announces its decision not to attend the ICA Abu Dhabi 2023 Congress] (in Catalan), Associació de Professionals de l’Arxivística i la Gestió de Documents de Catalunya, Jul. 15, 2023; “Dubai to host IFLA WLIC 2024,” Lebanese Library Association, Jun. 23, 2023; “ALIA Statement on the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2024,” Australian Library and Information Association, accessed Aug. 16, 2023; tweets by Saudi Library and Information Association, Emirates Libraries and Information Association, Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (also see here). The IFLA statement says Librarians Association of Malaysia (PPM) and Indian Library Association supported the location, but I cannot find a link to statements by either organization on the conference.
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