Ten Years of the Marrakesh Treaty

montage of images representing the past, current and future of the Marrakesh Treaty

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Ten Years of the Marrakesh Treaty

A decade ago, an international treaty came into force to help end the book famine for people with print disabilities.

To mark ten years of the Marrakesh Treaty in action, this three-part series looks back at the years of advocacy that led to its formation in 2013, examines what has changed during its first decade in force and, what the next ten years could bring for readers with print disabilities.

Links to Related Resources can be found further down this page.

Book Famine to Global Treaty: A pile of four books chained and padlocked on a dry and lifeless desert floor beside a braille book and virtual globe

  1. Marrakesh: Book Famine to Treaty

What did it take to change the international copyright law to improve access to books? Discover the years of determined advocacy, led by the World Blind Union that resulted in the adoption of the historic Marrakesh Treaty in 2013.

Ten Years of Implementation: a library with a number of international flags down one wall, on a table sit three books representing audio, braille, large print.

  1. Marrakesh: Ten Years of Implementation

In the last ten years, more countries have joined the Marrakesh Treaty, and the international exchange of accessible titles has expanded. What has this progress meant for the libraries and their readers? Explore the achievements, success stories and the challenges of translating the provision of the treaty into practice.

The Next Ten Years: futuristic image of someone standing before a large braille book in front of an interconnected digital globe and future city skyline

  1. Marrakesh: The Next Ten Years

The Marrakesh treaty opened doors around the world for international exchange, but the promise of full access hasn’t reached every reader yet. Many readers are still waiting for the books they need in a format they can use and in their own language. So, what will it take to close this gap? What will the next ten years look like and what needs to happen so everyone can read what they want when they want to?

Related Resources

Events:

  1. International Conference on the Implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty – November 19, 2026

WIPO Links:

  1. Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled
  2. Marrakesh Treaty Contracting Parties
  3. Accessible Books Consortium

Guides and Reports:

  1. Getting Started with the Marrakesh Treaty: A Guide for Librarians (IFLA)
  2. IFLA’s Marrakesh Monitoring Report
  3. IPA’s Guide to the Marrakesh Treaty

Related Articles:

  1. Ten Years of the Marrakesh treaty: Turning Access into Action (WIPO)
  2. Celebrating 10 years since the Entry into force of the Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO)
  3. IPA: Marrakesh Treaty 10th Anniversary Assembly on Accessible Books
  4. The Marrakesh Treaty: a global force for good (EIFL)