CHA co-hosts the 11th International Advisory Committee of the UNESCO Memory of the World

The 11th International Advisory Committee of the UNESCO Memory of the World is going to be held in Gwangju, Korea from June 18 to 21.

The meeting is co-hosted by UNESCO, Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea and Korean National Commission for UNESCO, and organized by Gwangju Metropolitan City government.

The meeting, participated by 14 IAC members appointed by UNESCO Secretary-General as well as other international experts in documentary heritage as observers, will review the nominations hoping newly to be on the international MOW register and discuss the program’s current state, promotion and development.

They also plan to share ideas regarding the extension of existing documentary heritage on the list, as well as their systems and processes for periodic reporting and monitoring.

Eighty four documentary heritage from 50 countries will be examined during the session for inscription. For this cycle, Korea has submitted two items, Nanjung Ilgi, War diary of General Yi Sun-sin, and the Archives of Saemaul Undong (New Community Movement). The winner of Jikji Prize, supported by the Korean government from 2004, will also be selected in the upcoming meeting.

The final decision for inscription of nominated properties is announced on the UNESCO website after the IAC’s examination result is conveyed to UNESCO Secretary General for recommendation in a couple of days.

The MOW program that UNESCO has led since 1992 is aimed to raise awareness of the international significance of documentary heritage and their necessity to be preserved, as well as find ways to increase their public access. From Jikji of Korea, the world’s first printed document with metal type, to the Wizard of Oz, the American film from 1939, the international register contains not only manuscripts and books but also inscriptions, scores, films and audio materials beyond generations. A total of 238 items from 96 countries are on the list now.

Currently, Korea has nine MOW documents on the register, which is the largest number in the Asia Pacific region.