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AGREEMENT TO SELL UNESCO BOOKS

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THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES HAS ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH UNESCO (UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION) FOR THE SALE OF ITS PUBLICATIONS IN HONG KONG.

UNESCO PRODUCES PUBLICATIONS ON SUBJECTS WHICH INCLUDE ART, EDUCATION, SCIENCE, CULTURE, COMMUNICATION, DOCUMENTATION, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS ARE ALSO PUBLISHED ON MATTERS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO UNESCO SUCH AS THE RIGHTS OF MAN, PEACE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, POPULATION CONTROL, STIMULATION OF ARTISTIC AND INTELLECTUAL CREATIVITY, SCIENCE CO-OPERATION, BROADENING THE ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND INFORMATION, PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, AND IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE OF MAN'S PLACE IN THE BIOSPHERE.

A SELECTION OF UNESCO PUBLICATIONS IS PRESENTLY ON DISPLAY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GPO BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AND CATALOGUES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. ORDERS CAN BE PLACED AT THE CENTRE, AND ALSO AT THE HEAD OFFICE OF THE GIS PUBLISHING SUB-DIVISION IN BASKERVILLE HOUSE, SECOND FLOOR, 22 ICE HOUSE STREET.

A GIS SPOKESMAN SAID THE NEW AGREEMENT REFLECTED A DESIRE TO PROVIDE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WITH ACCESS TO INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS OF A SIGNIFICANT NATURE.

+WE ALREADY HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS LIKE WHO (WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION) AND OECD (ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT), HMSO (HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE) IN LONDON AND THE UNIVERSAL MEDIA CORPORATION IN TOKYO FOR THE SALE OF THE IR PUBLICATIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+OUR AGREEMENT WITH UNESCO WILL ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO OBTAIN MANY NEW PUBLICATIONS NOT AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG UNTIL NOW.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PUBLISHING SUB- DIVISION OF GIS HAVE EXPANDED GREATLY IN RECENT YEARS.

+THIS FAST GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATIONS SERVICES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO MANY FACTORS,+ HE SAID.

+ INCREASED DEMAND FROM THE PUBLIC FOR A VARIETY OF PRINTED MATERIALS, EXPANSION OF SALES OUTLETS FOR GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS, AND THE SUCCESSFUL INTRODUCTION OF NEW TITLES ARE AMONG THE MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EXPANSION. +

REVENUE FROM THE SALE OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS HAS RISEN FROM ABOUT $4.3 MILLION IN 1976 TO MORE THAN $10.4 MILLION IN 1981,

THIS INCREASE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, REFLECTED KEENER PUBLIC INTEREST IN FINDING OUT ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE WIDE RANGE OF PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE. THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW BOOKS OF GENERAL INTEREST ALSO PROVES A SUCCESSFUL VENTURE. THESE ARE ON SUBJECTS SUCH AS HONG KONG'S ANIMALS, BIRDS BUTTERFLIES, TEMPLES, THE STORY OF GOVERNMENT HOUSE AND RURAL ARCHITECTURE.

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