As of writing this post, the death toll stands anywhere from 2,000-3,000 depending on the news source, and that number can only rise as more bodies are pulled from the rubble.
While all cultural events have been put on hold, it’s business as usual for the Annual General Meeting of the International Standard Book Number, taking place in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
The date was set last September, at the AGM in Oslo, although Morocco had been tipped for the hosting since 2021.
As of writing this post, the death toll stands anywhere from 2,000-3,000 depending on the news source, and that number can only rise as more bodies are pulled from the rubble.
The ISBN posted the following statement on its website on September 10, and failing any update it is presumed guests have been flying into Rabat from around the world (the agency is the registration authority for the ISO 2108 standard that regulates ISBNs. It oversees 150 regional or national registration agencies that assign ISBNs to publishers in over 200 countries).
“The International ISBN Agency is holding its Annual General Meeting in Morocco this week and many national ISBN Agencies will be attending.
We have watched the news about the terrible earthquake that struck Morocco with horror. Our meeting is being held in Rabat, which is 300km from the earthquake’s epicentre. However, the earthquake has clearly taken (and continues to take) a devastating toll on the country. We send our heartfelt and sincere condolences to those affected. We are very grateful to the Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc for being willing to continue to host our event during such difficult moments.”
