Cairo, November 13 (QNA) - The State of Qatar participated in the 2025 Arab Document Day celebration, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo under the theme "The League of Arab States: Eighty Years of Joint Arab Action."

The event was organized in coordination with the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ARBICA).

Qatar was represented by a delegation led by Secretary-General of the National Archive of Qatar and Chair of UNESCO's Memory of the World Committee for the Arab Region Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Buainain.

In his address, Dr. Al Buainain emphasized that the Arab document, in all its forms, is not merely a static record but a testament to the Arab people's journey, intellect, creativity, and struggle for dignity, unity, and progress.

He described the celebration as a tribute to identity, memory, and collective awareness across the Arab world.

He highlighted UNESCO's Memory of the Arab World program as a vital initiative to safeguard documentary heritage at risk of loss and neglect.

He expressed pride in the region's dedicated committee working to register documents, manuscripts, and audiovisual materials of unique historical and cultural value.

However, he noted that Arab participation in the program remains low, just 4% of globally registered documents, despite the region's rich contributions to history and human knowledge.

He called for stronger Arab cooperation and coordination among national heritage institutions to close this gap.

Dr. Al Buainain urged support for digital documentation, preventive preservation, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building in restoration and archiving.

He advocated for joint Arab nominations that reflect shared historical and cultural ties, stressing that documents not only preserve the past but also guide the present and inspire the future.

He said that they can unify their efforts in this field as they have in politics, culture, history, and education, they will help preserve the Arab nation's memory within the global human heritage, calling on Arab states, archives, and national libraries to work together to ensure the Arab document remains vibrant and enduring.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit congratulated Dr. Al Buainain on his appointment as Chair of the Memory of the World Committee for the Arab Region.

He underscored the committee's role in enriching the global memory register with distinctive Arab contributions and in preserving manuscripts, archives, images, and maps using modern technologies.

Aboul Gheit noted that Arab Document Day stems from a key initiative launched by ALECSO in the early 2000s to highlight the importance of Arab documents as pillars of national identity and historical testimony, and as essential components of Arab cultural heritage.

The celebration featured a historical exhibition on the Arab League through the eyes of Arab archival institutions, showcasing notable documents related to the League, alongside honoring distinguished Arab figures for their contributions to preserving documentary heritage. (QNA)