Governments and intergovernmental organizations as well as public non-governmental organizations now generate large quantities of documents and information which shape our lives and mould the societies in which we live. The discovery, collection, bibliographic control, preservation and dissemination of accurate information from and about all these public bodies is perhaps the major challenge to socially conscious librarians for the new millennium. In response to this challenge, the standing committee of GIOPS, the IFLA Government Information and Official Publications Section, has adopted a new mandate and new goals in its medium-term program for specialists in the field, covering the years 1998 to 2001. This program of professional action recognizes that the world community of library specialists in public information and public policy shares a mission: to provide free and equitable access to quality information from and about governments and other public bodies, local, national or international, so as to ensure their accountability to the people they serve. The paper will discuss the specific goals adopted as priorities for professional action by GIOPS in the light of this mandate, and will provide information on the international conference programs, training seminars and resource development projects currently being offered by this IFLA section.