COAR is an international association with over 140 members and partners from around the world representing libraries, universities, research institutions, government funders and others. COAR brings together the repository community and major repository networks in order build capacity, align policies and practices, and act as a global voice for the repository community.

Four strategic directions guide COAR’s activities:

  1. Promote the development of a sustainable, global network of open access repositories as key elements of international research infrastructures in support of excellence in scholarship and education
  2. Provide support for the OA repository community and build local capacity for the development and management of repositories and repository networks
  3. Define and promote interoperability, common standards, and best practices for repositories, repository networks and with other related systems
  4. Stimulate the development and adoption of value-added services for repositories and repository networks

COAR’s major activies for 2016-2017 are linked below: