We, the delegates of the 5^th IFLA Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, held at the Golden Horse Casino & Hotel, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on 16-20 June 2025, under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Transforming Libraries: Opportunities and Challenges,” acknowledge:

• The proliferation of Artificial Intelligence and related technologies like generative AI impacting all aspects of the information landscape.
• That the world around us is evolving at an unprecedented pace, increasing access to knowledge and creating new informational and ethical challenges.
• That AI and related technological developments are reshaping the landscape of libraries and the information professions.
• Libraries worldwide have both an opportunity and are faced with the challenge to envision how libraries and librarianship can evolve, benefit, and empower the profession to best serve their communities.

Therefore, we commit to:

• The responsible development and use of human-centred AI in our work environments, promote information literacy, digital literacy and AI literacy.
• Adapting and adopting responsible AI development and use in the library and information science (LIS) and related sectors, including technology convergence communities.
• Collaborating and partnering with all stakeholders in responsible AI development and use.
• Building staff capacity in the countries.
• The formation of a reference group to coordinate AI initiatives in our countries and in country associations.
• The creation of collaborative initiatives with the epistemic south to ensure the representation of our knowledge cultures and identities in AI platforms.
• Develop human-centred AI using the principle of openness and inclusivity to bridge the digital divide.
• Aligning LIS education with UNESCO Education for sustainable development.

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

20 June 2025

Please sign the declaration by submitting your response on this form.