Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed that the Organization accords great attention to African heritage through the programs and initiatives it launches and implements, notably the annual proclamation of an African city to be the Culture Capital in the Islamic World, which this year celebrates Yaoundé in Cameroon as the Culture Capital, a suitable occasion to cast light on the African tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Dr. AlMalik made this statement today, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in an address he gave during his participation in the International Colloquium on “Archives in Africa: Reality and Prospects”, held in observance of the International Archives Day. The Archives of Morocco organized the Colloquium in partnership with the National School of Charters in Paris and the School of Information Science in Rabat.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik thanked Dr. Jamaâ Bida, Director of the Archives of Morocco, for extending the invitation to attend this event, held as part of the celebration of Rabat as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022. He noted that the general public thinks that archives only give glimpses into the past, while in reality, archives focus on documenting the past and building the future, commending the efforts of the Archives of Morocco to preserve documents and safeguard the historical and civilizational memory of nations and peoples.
Dr. AlMalik stated that in addition to its key role in fostering understanding of the past in various fields, archival documents are a solid tool for anticipating the future and setting out strategies and plans to achieve development.

At the close of his address, the DG stated that the organization of this academic event reaffirms the significance and role of archives in raising awareness of the importance of the beginning of ideas and phenomena. “This only highlights the need to find effective ways to preserve archival heritage through exchanging experiences and expertise and capitalizing on digitization and AI applications to preserve documents and address this age’s civilizational changes,” the DG noted.