Arab League Secretary-General Calls for Unified Digital Archive to Preserve Arab Documentary Heritage

Cairo, October 21 (KUNA) -- Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy called on Wednesday for the establishment of a unified digital repository for Arabic documents to preserve shared documentary memory and support scientific research, emphasizing in this context the importance of protecting the Palestinian archive from attempts at erasure and forgery, and preserving Arabic documentary heritage.

This came in a statement by Fahmy, delivered on his behalf by Assistant Secretary-General for the Palestine and Occupied Arab Lands Sector, Ambassador Faed Mustafa, during an event commemorating Arabic Document Day 2026, organized by the League in coordination with the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ICA-Arab). The event was held under the theme "The Palestinian National Archive: Memory Under Occupation... From Erasure to Preservation."

Fahmy stressed that protecting the Palestinian archive is not limited to technical and cultural aspects, but represents a national and pan-Arab responsibility to safeguard the truth and the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people, given the systematic destruction, theft, and forgery targeting their memory. He noted that the conflict in the Palestinian case is not solely about land, but extends to history, memory, identity, and narrative, encompassing the names of cities and villages, land ownership, population records, maps, manuscripts, photographs, libraries, and antiquities—all of which attest to the Palestinian people’s connection to their land and their continued presence upon it.

He added that the Arab League underscores the necessity of prioritizing the collection, digitization, and dissemination of Palestinian documentary heritage to preserve it and protect it from erasure and theft, emphasizing that confronting these challenges requires broad mobilization of archivists and documentarians worldwide.

Fahmy praised the role of the Palestinian National Archive in preserving Palestinian historical documents as an integral part of national identity, Palestinian history, and authentic heritage.

In a related context, Fahmy called on the Arab Regional Branch of the ICA and Arab document and archive institutions that are members to explore the possibility of making digital copies of documents related to shared Arab history available within a unified digital repository. This repository would serve as a knowledge infrastructure facilitating access to documents and supporting scientific research in the Arab region. He urged the development of a technical and operational action plan for this project and its inclusion among the priorities of joint cooperation, in implementation of Article 10 of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Arab League and the ICA Arab Regional Branch in 2014.

He also called on the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO) and the ICA Arab Regional Branch to intensify efforts to recover looted, stolen, or exported Arab archives and to provide them with adequate protection against deterioration, neglect, disappearance, and smuggling, while drawing on successful Arab experiences in this field.

He pointed out that the Arab League Council, at the ministerial level, approved in 2016 the Unified Arab Strategy for the Recovery of Arab Archives Looted or Held by Foreign and Colonial States, aiming to protect the memory of peoples and safeguard human heritage from destruction, plunder, and theft.

Fahmy noted that the commemoration of Arabic Document Day coincides with the 25th anniversary of the initiative launched by ALECSO in 2001 to highlight the importance of Arabic documents as a fundamental pillar of the identity of nations and peoples, serving as a witness to history and a memory for future generations.

He concluded by reaffirming that Palestinian memory will remain preserved, that the history of Palestine will not be erased, and that the truth will remain present in the documents that attest to it and the generations that safeguard it.

The event, held in partnership with the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO), presidents of Arab document and archive institutions, and representatives of member states to the Arab League, featured a documentary exhibition titled “Palestine in Arab Documents,” which included copies of documents related to Palestine available at the archives of Arab member institutions of the Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives. The event also honored Palestinian institutions and figures in recognition of their contributions to preserving Palestinian memory, and paid tribute to the Arab League for its role in supporting the Palestinian cause and safeguarding Arab documentary heritage. The event included a panel discussion titled “Palestine in Arab Documentary Memory,” which addressed the Arab League’s role in preserving Palestinian documents and the efforts made to protect Palestinian heritage within the framework of joint Arab action, as well as the role of archive institutions in documenting Arab states’ positions on the Palestinian cause and ways to protect Palestinian national memory in light of the destruction inflicted on the Gaza Strip. The event also saw the launch of an expanded edition of the book “Palestine in Arab Documents,” prepared in cooperation with Egypt’s National Library and Archives, which includes a collection of Arab documents documenting the Palestinian people’s connection to their land and history. (End) MM / MAA