Pismo predsedniku Izvršnega odbora Unesca

Your Excellency Dr Nasser Bin Hamad Al Hinzab,

Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO,

The UNESCO Executive Board will decide at its ongoing 224th session under item 10.XI on the renewal of the designation of IZUM (Regional Centre for Library Information Systems and Research Information Systems) as a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO.

The proposal (224 EX/10.XI) is based on a misleading evaluation report that does not reflect the actual state of implementation of the objectives of expanding the COBISS.Net network, which were the reason for the transformation of IZUM into a UNESCO centre in 2011/2012. The experts from the Romanian company Strategicus Consulting were apparently instructed to conclude “that IZUM has fully met the expectations” or were misled due to inadequate professional competence and did not recognize how the Government of the Republic of Slovenia prevented the planned human resources development of IZUM and the implementation of the objectives of the COBISS.Net project. I suggest that you familiarize yourself with my review of the aforementioned report, which I sent on 27 March 2016 for the information of UNESCO representatives who are listed as interviewees in the evaluation report (Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi, Dr. Xianhong Hu, Dr. Bhanu Neupane), and which has already been shared with all those responsible for the fate of IZUM and the collapse of the COBISS.Net project in the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, all members of the COBISS.Net Council from the participating countries, and the Slovenian media. No one has responded yet, but all statements in the review are verifiable and irrefutable.

Apparently, officials in the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the director of IZUM now want to fraudulently achieve the extension of IZUM’s status as a UNESCO centre in order to cover up the failure of the COBISS.Net project, just as in 2020, by fraudulently claiming that the COBISS.Net Council was performing the tasks of the IZUM Management Board under an agreement with UNESCO, they achieved the appointment of a UNESCO representative as a member of the COBISS.Net Council, while the composition of the IZUM Management Board not comply with the ratified agreement with UNESCO.

Yours sincerely,

Tomaž Seljak, MSc
Leading author of the COBISS and E-CRIS systems,
initiator of the establishment and long-time director of IZUM
and long-time coordinator of the COBISS.Net project