General Guidelines¹ of the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme

1. Introduction

   1. The concept of Memory of the World (MoW) evolved in the early 1990s, following the creation of the UNESCO Sector for Communication, Information and Informatics in 1990, under which had been assigned the implementation of the General Information Programme (PGI). The General Conference of UNESCO in 1991 invited the Director-General, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, "with regard to archives, to promote the safeguard of, and access to the archival heritage, through: advisory services on the establishment of regional audio-visual technical laboratories, and audio-visual archives development plans in four Member States; the reconstitution of the archival heritage through microfilming"². The widespread use of the internet was still in the future, but growing global concern about the preservation of fragile and endangered documents was a contemporary reality.
   2. In order to help prevent the irrevocable loss of collective memory, UNESCO thus set up the MoW Programme in 1992 with the objectives of safeguarding the documentary heritage, facilitating access to it and disseminating it, and raising public awareness of its significance and the need to preserve it. The MoW Programme is underpinned and guided by various UNESCO standard-setting instruments, most recently the 2015 Recommendation concerning the preservation of, and access to, documentary heritage including in digital form (hereafter referred to as "the 2015 Recommendation").
   3. Further historical details on the MoW Programme can be found on the MoW website.

   ¹ As approved by the UNESCO Executive Board during its 211th Session (211 EX/10 Decision).

   ² 26C/Resolution 11.31 of the General Conference (1991).

2. Vision, Mission and Objectives

   1. The vision of the MoW Programme is that the world's documentary heritage belongs to all, should be fully preserved and protected for all and, with due recognition of cultural mores and practicalities, should be permanently accessible to all without hindrance.
   2. The mission of the MoW Programme is to increase awareness and protection of the world's documentary heritage, and achieve its universal and permanent accessibility.
   3. The MoW Programme has three main objectives that are closely interlinked, namely:
      to facilitate preservation, by the most appropriate techniques, of the world's past, present and future documentary heritage. This may be done by direct practical assistance, by the dissemination of advice and information and the encouragement of training, policy development and implementation by linking sponsors with timely and appropriate projects, or in other ways fostering the development of widely available resources in all forms.
      to assist universal access to documentary heritage. This may be done by encouraging institutions and individuals holding documentary heritage to make it accessible as widely and equitably as possible, in analogue and/or digital form, as appropriate.
      to increase awareness worldwide of the existence and significance of documentary heritage and thereby foster dialogue and mutual understanding between people and cultures.
   4. In its pursuit of these three main objectives, the MoW Programme recognises that "history is an unending dialogue between the present and the past"³ or, in other words, the interaction between primary sources and their ongoing interpretation.

   ³ E H Carr, What is History?, 1961, Cambridge UP, pp. 123-132.

3. Definitions

   1. For the purposes of the present General Guidelines and as defined by the 2015 Recommendation, it is understood that:
      1. A document is an object comprising analogue or digital informational content and the carrier on which it resides. It is preservable and usually moveable.
      2. Documentary heritage comprises those single documents – or groups of documents – of significant and enduring value to a community, a culture, a country or to humanity generally.
      3. Memory institutions may include but are not limited to archives, libraries, museums and other educational, cultural and research organizations.
   2. These and associated terms are further elaborated on the MoW website.

4. Description and Strategy

   1. The five strategies for the MoW Programme are set out in the 2015 Recommendation as follows: identification of documentary heritage; preservation of documentary heritage; access to documentary heritage; policy measures; and national and international cooperation.
   2. For additional details on how the five strategies may be implemented, you may consult, on the UNESCO website, the questionnaire for the preparation of reports by Member States on the application of the 2015 Recommendation.

5. Structure of the MoW Programme

   1. The MoW Programme is carried forward by a tripartite structure of committees in which each sphere (international, regional, national) operates separately, but is part of a single network as described in the present General Guidelines.
      1. International Advisory Committee (IAC)
         1. The IAC is the peak MoW Programme body, responsible for advising UNESCO on the planning and implementation of the MoW Programme as a whole.
         2. As provided for in its Statutes, the IAC comprises 14 international experts, chosen for their expertise in safeguarding documentary heritage.
      2. National MoW Committees
         1. National MoW committees are autonomous entities operating at the national level.
         2. The establishment of one national MoW committee in every Member State where it is practicable is a goal of the Programme.
      3. Regional MoW Committees
         1. Regional MoW committees are autonomous entities operating at the regional level.

6. The MoW logo

   1. The Memory of the World logo permits regional and national MoW committees as well as institutions holding items listed on a register to demonstrate their link with UNESCO.
   2. The Guidelines for Logo Use are themselves in compliance with the Directives Concerning the Use of the Name, Acronym, Logo and Internet Domain Names of UNESCO.
   3. The logo is a symbolic graphic in which the concentric circles can be interpreted to represent various document formats, as well as the diffusion and preservation of memory.

7. Memory of the World Activities

   1. Fulfilling the MoW Programme's objectives leads to a range of activities that are constantly evolving.
   2. Workshops and seminars - MoW workshops and seminars are held in the national, regional and international domains.
   3. Publications - MoW-branded or MoW-related publications may be directly commissioned or produced by UNESCO.
   4. UNESCO International Days - UNESCO celebrates United Nations International Days related to its fields of competence.
   5. Prizes and awards - The MoW Programme may provide awards and other forms of recognition.
   6. Standard-setting instruments - UNESCO adopts standard-setting instruments.
   7. Other texts - There are other texts which are also important and useful reference points.
   8. Research and education - The MoW Programme encourages the disciplines of research and scholarship.
   9. Exhibitions and events - Exhibitions can take many forms.
   10. The International, Regional and National MoW Registers - The Memory of the World Programme was established to assist Member States to preserve documentary heritage at large.

8. The International MoW Register

   1. Introduction - The International MoW Register is one of the means available for achieving the three main objectives of the MoW Programme.
   2. Inadmissible nominations - There are some limitations and exclusions on the scope of documents that may be nominated.
   3. Criteria for inscription - Using a consistent set of criteria facilitates more accurate analysis.
   4. Formalities for submitting nominations - Details available on the MoW website.
   5. The nomination process - The nomination process follows established procedures.
   6. Incidental process - Additional processes as needed.
   7. Additions to existing inscriptions - Procedures for adding to existing inscriptions.
   8. Monitoring and reporting of inscriptions - Ongoing monitoring requirements.
   9. Removal from the International MoW Register - Procedures for removal if necessary.