Books are a fundamental means of access to knowledge of values, wisdom, aesthetic sense and human imagination. As vectors of creation, information and education, they allow every culture to print their essential features and to see the identity of others. As a window on the diversity of cultures and a bridge between civilizations, beyond time and space, books are a source of dialogue, a means of exchange and a source of development. For all of these reasons, UNESCO has celebrated World Book and Copyright Day since 1996, on the 23rd of April, with the participation of millions of people representing a hundred countries. Devoted to the promotion of reading and writing, in addition to copyright, which is closely associated, the occasion aims to bring out the various aspects of books, be they creative, industrial, standard-setting, political, national and international. The celebration of the United Nations' Year for Cultural Heritage in 2002 is a particularly appropriate event.

UNESCO has indicated two major themes to celebrate the year: "Heritage and Dialogue" and "Heritage and Development." Books and copyright exemplify these themes. As a protector of memory and a vector for creativity, a book is both a receptacle for words and a mechanism for the exchange of ideas, an incomparable instrument and a reproducible object, an echo-chamber of feeling and a source of revenue, an original work and a mirror of the social climate. Books represent a heritage that is specifically rooted in distinct cultural traditions and which is continually evolving through interaction with other traditions, in relation to and in dialogue with the Other.

The celebration of World Book and Copyright Day in 2002 is an opportunity to consider the major contribution of books to the cultural heritage and thereby spark new initiatives from the fertile interaction between the pages - be it in printed or in electronic form - and the cultural wealth of humanity, both tangible and intangible. By safeguarding and adding to the cultural heritage of humanity, we maintain a synergy whose finest support comes from books.