IPA membership to reach 107 in 85 countries

IPA announces new committee members, welcomes new associations, and confirms the 2026 International Publishers Congress at its 25 Nov General Assembly.

on Nov 26, 2025

IPA membership to reach 107 in 85 countries

At its virtual General Assembly on 25 November 2025, the IPA confirmed the results of online elections and decisions about membership applications. New IPA Executive, Membership and Freedom to Publish Committee members were announced, along with 2 new IPA member associations.

The elections saw some long-standing contributors to IPA’s work step down: Kristenn Einarsson (Norway) did not seek re-election to the Freedom to Publish Committee after leading the committee for 8 years; Maxwell Wahome (Kenya) and Dante Cid (Brazil) stood down from the Membership Committee although Cid will remain a member of the Executive Committee; and Lawrence Njagi (Kenya), Christian Schumacher-Gebler (Germany) and Heidar Ingi Svansson (Iceland) all stood down from the Executive Committee. The IPA would like to thank all of them for their expert and generous contributions to the work of the organisation.

The General Assembly was also the occasion for IPA to confirm details of the 2026 International Publishers Congress, which will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 5-9 July 2025.

Commenting on the new committee members, IPA President, Gvantsa Jobava, said: Congratulations to all those who have joined our Committees and thank you to all those who stood and expressed their desire to engage more closely in the work of the IPA. IPA's power is in our ability to bring publishers from around the world together and that is possible through the people who volunteer for our committees. I'm looking forward to working with you all to advocate for strong copyright laws, the promotion of the freedom to publish and the wonderful contribution publishing makes to all our societies. I have to say a special word of thanks to Kristenn Einarsson who has led our Freedom to Publish Committee so well these last eight years. Thank you for everything you have given IPA and for your fierce commitment to the Freedom to Publish.

Commenting on the acceptance of new members to IPA, IPA Secretary General, José Borghino, said: It is great to see IPA's membership continue to grow. The policy challenges ahead need all of us to work together and share our different national and regional experiences.

Delivering his final update on the activities of the Freedom to Publish Committee, Kristenn Einarsson said: It has been an honour to work on this core pillar of the association. Over the last eight years, we have seen the freedom to publish situation deteriorate and the challenges increase. We will need to redouble our efforts to secure this freedom for publishers. I know I can count on you.

The General Assembly also featured two special guest speakers: Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO, and Nobel Prize winner and author of “How to Stand Up to a Dictator” Maria Ressa.

When asked about insights on how to inspire others to be brave, Maria Ressa answered: Well, first book publishers, right? There's a reason why book banning was done in the 40s. There's a reason why fascist movements first killed that kind of free thinking that books can give you. What we've seen is not just media capture, that's followed by academic capture, by NGO capture, by judiciary capture, before you have state capture. So that's the first step: know you have a role. And what we've learned in the Philippines is every person in that process has to have the courage to stand up. You have to have the courage to take a risk, because when you don't take a risk at the right time, at the time when you're called to take a risk, then you give up your future.

Ernesto Ottone Ramirez emphasised the importance of the partnership between the IPA and UNESCO in upholding shared values, namely cultural diversity, innovation, and the protection of creators through copyright: The International Publishers Association's ongoing collaboration with UNESCO and the United Nations is a remarkable example of how multilateral partnerships can foster cultural vitality. Through the UNESCO World Book Capital Advisory Committee, the IPA helps promote reading and publishing globally, and through the SDG Publisher Compact, it mobilises the publishing industry to actively support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.