National Archives Of Qatar Conference Highlights Importance Of Documentary Heritage For Nations

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: A conference opened yesterday in Doha to strengthen regional cooperation to protect documentary heritage and ensure its sustainability, highlighting its importance as a living memory of nations and their cultural identity.

The two-day regional conference, 'Memory in Heritage: Fostering Cooperation on Documentary Heritage in the Arab Region', is organised by the National Archives of Qatar (NAQ) in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) at the Sheraton Hotel in Doha.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Qatar National Archive H E Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, ambassadors, regional experts, and decision-makers from across the Arab world.

Participants will discuss the most prominent challenges threatening this heritage, including climate change, regional conflicts, and technical challenges while proposing innovative solutions to enhance joint efforts.

Addressing the event, the Secretary-General of the National Archives of Qatar Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Al Buainain stressed the importance of the conference as a platform to enhance Arab and international cooperation in protecting documentary heritage.

“Documentary heritage is not just documents kept in archives, but a living record of our identity and history. Our responsibility today is not only to preserve it but to transform it into a cognitive tool that contributes to facing the challenges of the era while ensuring its sustainability for future generations,” said Al Buainain.

He added:“We at the NAQ are committed to using the latest digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and digitisation, to improve archiving processes and protect documents from damage.

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“We also seek to be a leading centre in the digital transformation of national and Arab archives, in cooperation with our regional and international partners.”

Al Buainain highlighted the unprecedented challenges facing the world today, which threaten the sustainability of documentary heritage, including environmental challenges related to climate change, and regional conflicts that may threaten cultural heritage. However, he said that these challenges open up opportunities for transformation and innovation.

Al Buainain also stressed the importance of partnerships with international organisations such as Unesco and the Memory of the World Programme.

He added:“Our role in this context is not only to preserve what we have inherited, but we also seek to rebuild the memory of peoples in a way that is consistent with contemporary challenges. We are working to formulate regional and international policies and frameworks that unify efforts and increase our ability to confront these challenges.”

He added:“This conference is a call for all of us to work as one team to preserve our past and keep pace with the future. Cooperation between countries and institutions is the only way to activate these efforts and ensure the survival of this heritage for future generations.”

Unesco Representative for the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of the Unesco Office in Doha H E Salah El Din Zaki Khaled said that the event brings together representatives of documentary heritage institutions in the Arab region.

He noted that the conference represents an important opportunity to enhance joint efforts to protect and value documentary heritage at the regional and international levels. Khaled praised the role of the NAQ and its team in organising this important event stressing that the Arab region is rich in a unique documentary heritage that bears witness to the human civilizations that arose and developed in this region. However, Khaled drew attention to the weak representation of the Arab documentary heritage in the Memory of the World Register, where it constitutes only 5% of the total register, which calls for urgent action to enhance cooperative efforts and increase attention to the importance of this heritage. Secretary-General of the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Ali Al Marafi said that the conference constitutes an important platform for unifying efforts and enhancing regional cooperation to preserve documentary heritage, which is an integral part of the cultural and historical identity of Arab peoples.

He explained that this event reflects Qatar's commitment to supporting cultural and educational efforts, regionally and internationally, in a way that contributes to strengthening ties between the peoples of the region. Al Marafi said that the challenges facing documentary heritage require an integrated approach based on enhancing regional cooperation, exchanging expertise, and developing innovative mechanisms to ensure the protection and sustainability of this heritage.

He also noted the role of the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science in supporting these efforts, stressing that preserving documentary heritage is at the heart of its concerns, and that it is committed to strengthening partnerships with regional and international bodies to ensure the protection of this legacy for future generations.

He thanked the National Archives of Qatar for hosting the conference and for its outstanding efforts in preserving cultural heritage.

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