The Middle East and North Africa countries are home to an extraordinary cultural and documentary heritage, both secular and religious, which is of critical importance to the entire world. A contribution to the history of humanity, this rich heritage represents an enormous capacity to inspire the development of the region’s countries. Yet, due to neglect, natural decay, technological obsolescence, inadequate housing or, in some cases, deliberate destruction, valuable archival and library materials that represent the Arab region’s legacy about its history, identity and knowledge face the risk of being lost, destroyed or forgotten about. Audiovisual heritage, including sound recordings and moving images, is particularly at risk.

on this subject: UNESCO project Supporting documentary heritage preservation in the Arab region