Documentary Heritage Meet Ends With Launch Of Qatar-Chaired Mowcar

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The regional two-day conference“Memory in Heritage: Enhancing Co-operation on Documentary Heritage in the Arab Region” organised by the Qatar National Archives in co-operation with Unesco concluded yesterday.

The conference kicked off in Doha on Tuesday in the presence of HE Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Qatar National Archives, and HE Ibrahim bin Ali al-Mohannadi, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.

The second day of the conference witnessed continued intensive discussions on key issues related to the preservation of documentary heritage in the Arab world. The events were opened with a welcoming speech by Secretary-General of the Qatar National Archives Dr Ahmed al-Buainain, who stressed the importance of joint dialogue between Arab countries and enhancing cooperation to achieve common regional goals.

The day included a comprehensive presentation by Heidi Mirza from the Unesco Office for Egypt and Sudan, reviewing the most important previous achievements and defining the objectives of the final day. Participants discussed the challenges facing the Arab region in enhancing its representation on the Memory of the World Register, with Ming Kok Lim from the Unesco Office in Rabat highlighting the steps required to submit successful proposals that reflect Arab cultural diversity.

The closing session announced the establishment of the Memory of the World Committee for the Arab Region (MoWCAR) to coordinate efforts in safeguarding heritage and raising its global profile.

Dr al-Buainain was elected Chairman of the Memory of the World Committee for the Arab region, after Qatar received 15 votes out of 17, reflecting the great confidence that the Arab world places in Qatar to lead this important initiative.

He said:“We are proud and honoured to be assigned to chair the Memory of the World Committee for the Arab region. We are fully aware of the importance of this role and the responsibilities it carries in building a strong regional system concerned with preserving our rich documentary heritage and consolidating its position at the regional and international levels.

“We will continue to work hard and sincerely to ensure that the committee becomes an effective platform that enhances cooperation between Arab countries and unifies efforts towards enabling documentary heritage to achieve a distinguished global presence. This assignment represents an exceptional opportunity to consolidate Qatar's position as a pioneer in this field, and to enhance joint efforts to achieve a future vision that ensures the sustainability of our legacy for future generations.”

The conference concluded with a series of strategic recommendations. The participants stressed the importance of supporting digitisation projects as a pivotal tool for preserving documents and ensuring easy access to them, with a focus on employing modern technology to achieve this vital goal.

They also stressed the need to enhance Arab nominations for the Memory of the World Register by submitting strong files that reflect the cultural diversity of the region, ensuring a distinguished representation of Arab heritage at the global level.

The recommendations also included developing joint training programmes that contribute to building local capacities and enhancing the exchange of expertise between Arab countries in the field of preserving documentary heritage. The recommendations represent a roadmap to enhance joint efforts between Arab countries, ensuring the protection and sustainability of documentary heritage for future generations.

Dr al-Buainain expressed his gratitude to Unesco for its continuous support for this initiative, and commended the participants from various Arab countries for their effective role in making the conference a success and enriching the discussions.

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