Eleven African countries are currently participating in the 2024 Memory of the World (MoW) International Training Workshop in Accra.
The workshop aims to highlight the importance of promoting, preserving, and documenting the rich histories of African cultures on the global documentary register.
The participating countries include Ghana, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Eswatini, Lesotho, Cote d’Ivoire, Malawi, Namibia, Senegal, Tunisia, and Uganda.
This four-day workshop, organized by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU) and the Korea Heritage Service of the Republic of Korea in partnership with the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, focuses on the contributions and experiences of women in documentary heritage.
Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, the Secretary-General of the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, emphasized the workshop’s goal of increasing awareness of documentary heritage’s significance among UNESCO Member States.
The workshop also aims to assist under-represented countries in identifying documentary heritage with global importance and preparing nominations for inscription on the Regional and International Registers.
The workshop underscores the critical role women play in preserving and promoting global documentary heritage, particularly within the African context.
Mrs. Nerquaye-Tetteh highlighted the Commission’s efforts in promoting and preserving Ghana’s documentary heritage, citing the establishment of the Ghana National Committee for UNESCO Memory of the World program in 2021.
Dr. Kyung Koo Han, the Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, lamented the limited representation of African cultures on the MoW Register, with only 35 items from the continent listed.
The workshop’s objective includes increasing nominations and successful inscriptions of African heritage on the global register.
Participants in the workshop will learn how to prepare applications for nomination, with a focus on safeguarding Africa’s unique and vital stories for global recognition.
The Memory of the World Programme, initiated by UNESCO in 1992, is dedicated to preserving and providing access to the world’s documentary heritage.
The programme envisions universal ownership of this invaluable heritage, emphasizing its preservation, protection, and perpetual accessibility.
By embracing UNESCO’s mission of fostering peace, eradicating poverty, and promoting sustainable development, countries can ensure the recognition and preservation of their cultural heritage for future generations.
