Cairo: The Arab Document Day 2025 events concluded successfully at the League of Arab States' headquarters in Cairo. The event, organized jointly by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives, saw participation from numerous Arab memory bodies and institutions over the course of November 12-13, 2025.
According to Union of OIC News Agencies, the Palestinian National Library was represented by Fawaz Salameh, Director General of Documentation and Archives. On the opening day, Palestine chaired the fifth meeting of the Executive Committee of the Unified Arab Strategy for the Recovery of Looted, Plundered and Transferred Archives in Colonial Countries. This strategy involves seven Arab countries: Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Libya, and Sudan, and was sanctioned by the Council of the League at the Ministerial Level through Resolution No. (8266) on March 7, 2018.
The discussions during the meeting focused on implementing the strategy, enhancing coordinated Arab efforts, and reviewing the requisite technical and diplomatic procedures. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Dr. Hala Gad, and members of the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives.
In addition, Fawaz Salameh, in his role as Vice President of the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives, contributed to the annual coordination meeting between the branch and the General Assembly of Heads of Arab Archives. This meeting addressed strategies to foster institutional cooperation and activate partnerships to preserve the shared Arab memory, as well as to refine working mechanisms among Arab archives.
On the event's second day, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, inaugurated the exhibition "The Journey and the Destiny" at the League's museum. The exhibition, attended by Arab archives officials, ambassadors, state delegates, and cultural figures, showcased photographs and historical documents chronicling joint Arab relations since the university's inception.
In his address, the Secretary-General emphasized the necessity of reinforcing joint Arab initiatives to safeguard national archives and improve preservation and digitization methods, highlighting their significance as the memory of peoples and the nation. The event also recognized several Arab artists and researchers in documentary heritage, including Palestinian researcher Aziz Al-Asa.
The event included a scientific symposium titled "Eighty Years of Joint Arab Action," featuring two sessions with experts in archiving and documentary work. Professor Fawaz Salameh presented a paper on "The Reciprocity of Collective Preservation of Documentary Heritage - Utilizing Digital Transformation in Arab Collective Awareness."
The Palestinian National Library's involvement underscores its dedication to its Arab role in safeguarding Palestinian archives and memory, while fostering professional collaboration with Arab counterparts in this crucial domain.