UNESCO Press Release No.2018-48

Softwareheritage.org, UNESCO and Inria open the Archive of the Digital Age

Paris, 06 June—UNESCO and Inria will open the archive of Softwareheritage.org, a worldwide initiative to create a universal library of computer programme source codes since the dawn of the digital age on June 7.

One year after the signing of a partnership agreement between Inria and UNESCO, the launch event at UNESCO’s Headquarters on 7 June (3 to 4.30 pm), will include a demonstration of the website’s functions, with the participation of François Sillion, Chief Executive Officer of the French National Institute for computer science and applied mathematics (Inria).
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MOWCAP has been working closely with UNESCO to implement the Recommendation, Concerning the Preservation of, and Access to, Documentary Heritage, Including in Digital Form in the Asia–Pacific. UNESCO, Bangkok, has developed  a brochure to provide information about the Recommendation.

Background:

At the 38^th session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2015, 195 countries voted unanimously in favor of the introduction of a new UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Preservation of, and Access to, Documentary Heritage Including in Digital Form.

Arranged by five thematic areas – namely (1) Identification of documentary heritage, (2) Preservation of documentary heritage, (3) Access to documentary heritage, (4) Policy measures and (5) National and international cooperation), the Recommendation addresses both the technical and strategic issues that arise in the preservation and use of documentary heritage. It provides practical and actionable recommendations that can be used by governments, memory institutions, the private sector, professional associations, academia and others organizations and individuals operating in the area of documentary heritage.

Recommendation text:

The Recommendation is available in the following languages:

• English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic
• Lao 
• Myanmar language
• Tetum
• Farsi
• Thai

Action Plans to Implement the Recommendation in the Asia-Pacific:

In May 2017, a first regional consultation on the implementation of the Recommendation resulted in the adoption of the UNESCO-ASEAN Member States Action Plan for the Implementation of the Recommendation. ASEAN Member States, museums, archives and libraries have raised that one of the main challenges in the region for safeguarding documentary heritage is the lack of awareness amongst policy-makers and the public on the significance of documentary heritage.

In August 2017, the regional seminar on strengthening cooperation for the preservation and access to documentary heritage held in Tehran resulted in the adoption of the Regional Cooperation Plan for the Implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Documentary Heritage in Western and Central Asia. Delegates from Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting and raised the challenges of accessing to documentary heritage located outside the countries or owned by the private. The regional cooperation plan put the emphasis on capacity-building and identification of documentary heritage for joint nominations.

In September 2017, the regional workshop held in Fiji in conjunction with the Pacific Regional Branch of the International Council of Archives biennial meeting resulted in the development of the Pacific Member States Action Plan for the Implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Documentary Heritage. Delegates from Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu attended the workshop and helped to develop the plan of action.

Source: UNESCO Bangkok

Elections for the MOWCAP Bureau will be held at the next General Meeting in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. The key points of the MOWCAP voting process are summarized below:

–          1 Chairperson, 3 Vice-Chairpersons and 1 Secretary-General will be elected

–          The order of election will be as follows: first the Secretary-General, then the Chairperson and finally the three Vice-Chairpersons

–          All MoW National Committees that have submitted the annual reports will have the right to vote

–          The voting will be conducted by secret ballot and decisions will be taken by a simple majority

–          Special Advisors will be appointed by the newly elected Bureau after the General Meeting

–          If there is only one candidate for the Secretary-General’s position and there are no objections, we do not proceed to a vote

–          If there is only one candidate for the Chairperson’s position and there are no objections, we do not proceed to a vote

–          If there are 3 or less than 3 candidates for the Vice-Chairpersons’ positions and there are no objections, we do not proceed to a vote

–          The voting process will be chaired and scrutineered by UNESCO staff

–          One candidate may apply to several positions

Note: The candidates’ application forms, statements in support of the nomination, and other supporting documents will be distributed to registered delegates one week prior to the General Meeting meeting.

 Nominations  open for the  UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World Prize.

The Prize was created to commemorate the inscription of the Buljo jikji simche yojeol – the oldest known book of moveable metal print in the world – on the Memory of the World International Register. As such, it has become an important symbol of the Memory of the World Programme’s efforts to support the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage as a common heritage of humanity.

UNESCO Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions, as well as international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) maintaining official relations with UNESCO and whose work is in the field of preservation and conservation of documentary heritage are thus encouraged to submit their nominations no later than 30 March 2018.

Here is  more information on how to submit a nomination.