27th OF OCTOBER WORLD DAY FOR AUDIOVISIUAL HERITAGE
Audiovisual archives tell us stories about people’s lives and cultures from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge since they reflect the cultural, social and linguistic diversity of our communities. They help us grow and comprehend the world we all share. Conserving this heritage and ensuring it remains accessible to the public and future generations is a vital goal for all memory institutions as well as the public at large. The UNESCO Archives has launched the project "Digitizing our shared UNESCO history" with this very goal in mind. World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) commemorates the adoption in 1980 of the Recommendation for the Protection and Preservation of Moving Images by the 21st General Conference. World Audiovisual Heritage Day is an opportunity to raise public awareness of the need for urgent action and to recognize the importance of audiovisual documents.
As such, World Day also provides an opportunity for UNESCO Member States to evaluate their efforts to implement the 2015 Recommendation concerning the Safeguarding of Documentary Heritage and Access to it, including in digital form.
The 2023 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage will be celebrated on 27 October under the theme “Your Window to the World”. The celebration is key initiative for UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) to honor audiovisual preservation professionals and institutions that safeguard our heritage for future generations. As a window to the world, audiovisual heritage enables us to witness events we do not attend, listen to voices of the past, and create narratives that inform and entertain. Through the exploration of recorded sounds and visual imagery captured on film and video, we not only gain an appreciation for the cultural wealth but also extract valuable lessons from it.
The main objectives of designating the date of 27 October were listed by UNESCO:
raising public awareness of the need for preservation;
providing opportunities to celebrate specific local, national or international aspects of the heritage;
highlighting the accessibility of archives;
attracting media attention to heritage issues;
raising the cultural status of audiovisual heritage;
highlighting audiovisual heritage in danger, especially in developing countries.
Mahym KAKAYEVA,
the 2nd year student of the Faculty
of International Economic Relations
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan