Rabat began its year as UNESCO World Book Capital on 23 April, placing reading, publishing and access to books at the centre of an international cultural programme. The Moroccan capital took over the annual designation from Rio de Janeiro.
UNESCO had announced the selection in advance, recognising a programme intended to widen participation in reading and strengthen the local book sector. Activities focus on connecting books with audiences including young people and communities with limited access to cultural resources. The start of the year is therefore the implementation of an earlier designation, not a newly announced award. The initiative also gives an international platform to Morocco's literary life and to the role that libraries, publishers and public reading programmes can play in urban culture.