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A Introduction times will be a gap, and the difficulties we have institutions working across different types of docu-
Documentary heritage in libraries, archives
Commemorative and beyond represents our collective memories
in tangible form. These collective memories make
Statement up a shared pool of our knowledge, experience,
UNESCO ICDH
expression, and humanity ― they are the bedrocks
of communities and civilizations. Failure to preserve
the world’s documentary heritage would be a great
loss to the shared heritage of humanity.
UNESCO’s long-standing commitment to the
safeguarding of the world’s documentary heritage
came originally from a growing awareness of the
fragility of this heritage, as well as its perilous state
of preservation and limited access in various parts
of the world. Wars and social upheaval, as well as
severe lack of resources to carry out preservation
and dissemination activities have aggravated risk
factors that have existed for centuries.
The Memory of the World (MoW) Programme
was established by UNESCO in 1992 to safeguard
the world’s documentary heritage, democratize
access to it and raise awareness of its significance,
and most importantly, the need to preserve it.
Over the last 30 years, the MoW Programme
has achieved important milestones in ensuring that
the world’s documentary heritage is preserved,
protected, and accessible to all, while advocating
for effective policy mechanisms and promoting
national and international cooperation among
Member States.
These significant milestones include the
inscription of over 400 documentary heritage
items and collections from all over the world on
the MoW International Register; the establishment
of three MoW regional committees in the African,
Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the
30th Caribbean regions, along with national committees
in 95 countries; as well as the establishment of the
UNESCO International Centre for Documentary
Heritage.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the
MoW Programme goes beyond commemorating
the diverse and important documents that are
already part of the MoW Register, preserving the
legacy of previous generations. It embraces those
[1] This Commemorative Statement is coordinated by the International
Centre for Documentary Heritage (a Category) documents generated today, largely produced
[2] Centre under the auspices of UNESCO. Its content was shaped by and disseminated digitally, which can only be
documentary heritage experts drawn from the Memory of the World
(MoW) Programme’s network of national and regional committees and bequeathed to new generations if they are created
international non-governmental organizations. It represents their voice on and preserved in ways that preserve their integrity
the issues that define this 30th anniversary of the establishment of the
MoW Programme. and authenticity. Without them, the history of our
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gone through and the solutions we try to give to the mentary heritage including:
problems we face will not be documented, resulting • Archives, represented by the
in a reduced understanding of our time and,
International Council on Archives (ICA);
certainly, that of the future. • Audiovisual archives including sound, film
Efforts made by memory institutions and
individuals to preserve documentary heritage and broadcasting represented by CCAAA;
and enable its access have been recognized and • Libraries, represented by the International
celebrated through UNESCO/Jikji MoW Prize. Federation of Library Associations and
Institutions (IFLA);
The MoW Global Policy Forum has become the • Museums, represented by the
strategic platform for discussion and knowledge- International Council of Museums (ICOM).
sharing, particularly on disaster risk reduction and
management, providing support to Member States In various ways, these institutions, in co-
in implementing the UNESCO 2015 Recommendation operation with the MoW Programme, are developing
concerning the preservation of, and access to, administrative and technical standards for the
documentary heritage including in digital form. preservation and accessibility of documentary
Initiatives in digital documentary heritage, such as heritage in all its diverse genres and formats,
PERSIST and Software Source Code as Heritage thereby ensuring that all people can appreciate its
are also progressing. Reaching out to the younger value within a larger cultural ecosystem.
generation, the programme has also embraced a In parallel with efforts made by these institutions
strategy to introduce documentary heritage through and the MoW Programme, there is a compelling
educational materials and learning activities. need for Member States to strengthen their role
This year, the MoW Programme is celebrating of positioning documentary heritage in the larger
its 30th anniversary. This is a great opportunity to cultural ecosystem.
celebrate these achievements and look ahead to The 2015 Recommendation concerning the
the future of the Programme. In this view, there is preservation of, and access to, documentary
a strong need to promote the contribution of heritage including in digital form encourages
documentary heritage to the development of a Member States to “contribute to building synergies
sustainable, peaceful, and inclusive society that between the Memory of the World Programme
ensures justice for all. and other heritage programmes in order to assure
further coherence of actions.”
1.Positioning documentary heritage in the This can be done by ensuring that documentary
larger cultural ecosystem heritage is part of frameworks for safeguarding
In marking this anniversary, we embrace cultural heritage, developed at the national level in
the theme: “Your window to the world: Enlisting line with relevant UNESCO cultural conventions.
documentary heritage to promote inclusive, just and
This is especially relevant in terms of addressing
peaceful societies”. challenges in the fields of preservation and pro-
In itself, the theme is a mark of true partner-
tection that include disaster risk reduction; legal
ship: It brings together the Co-ordinating Council and/or technological restrictions on preservation
of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA)’s
and access; education and promotion; as well as
multi-year theme for the World Day for Audiovisual opportunities and challenges related to information
Heritage, “Your Window to the World”, with the and communications technology developments.
theme of the MoW Programme’s 30th anniversary By taking a comprehensive view of the cultural
celebration, “Enlisting documentary heritage to ecosystem, one that includes documentary heritage,
promote inclusive, just and peaceful societies”. Member States can strengthen their efforts to
As such, on 27 October 2022, we celebrate preserve and provide access to all forms of
both the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage and the
heritage, and implement the 2015 Recommendation
30th anniversary of the MoW Programme. in parallel to UNESCO’s other standard-setting
Beyond the dual theme, the celebration re-
instruments in the field of cultural heritage.
presents the coming together of diverse memory
27 Memories of Today