EABDA is a regional forum for co-ordination of book sector activities in East Africa, and is registered as a society in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The Association’s mission is to create a reading culture in region through a wholesome approach of developing all functions within the book chain from authorship and publishing to distribution and readership facilitation, and to encourage cross-border trade in books.

EABDA embraces the principles of regional co-operation on which the East African Community is founded such as strengthening of regional collaboration for enhancement of understanding among the citizenry and growth of economies through the expansion of markets.
.
EABDA’s Vision and Mission
The EABDA Vision is

“A literate and enriched people through the promotion of books and reading.”

The Mission is
“To support development of all functions of the book sector in the East African region and to enhance cross-border trade in books.”

Objectives

1. To strengthen and liaise with country stakeholder associations in the book sector, to jointly develop and promote authorship, production, publishing, readership, and trade especially in local language books;
2. To support training programmes for stakeholders within the region’s book sector;
3. To initiate and support projects and public campaigns towards the enhancement of a book-reading culture in the East Africa Region;
4. To support the development of school and community libraries and the training of teachers in reading and library development;
5. To promote cross-border book trade among the three East African countries of Kenya Uganda and Tanzania by encouraging partnerships in authorship, publishing, bookselling and printing among individuals and institutions;
6. To organise regional meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences among regional stakeholders in order to strengthen professional co-operation;
7. To associate with and lobby the East African Co-operation and the governments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for the removal or reduction of taxes and excessive fees on book production and trade in order to enable free flow of information across borders, in accordance with the ‘Florence Agreement’ and all its protocols;
8. To solicit for funding from individuals, organisations, corporate bodies, donors, and donor agencies, both within and outside the East Africa Region towards development of the book industries and promotion of reading in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania;
9. To co-operate with national, regional and international organisations with similar objectives and visions of developing East Africa’s book sector and promoting reading in the region;
10. To carry out any other activities, which further the interests of the Association.