Jakarta, October 15, 2026 – The Europe Today: An international training workshop under UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” Programme, themed “Expanding the Potential of Documentary Diversity,” opened in Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 13, bringing together representatives and experts from across the Asia-Pacific region to strengthen cooperation in preserving documentary heritage.
The workshop aims to enhance international cooperation and strengthen the human and technical capacities of countries across the region to preserve valuable documentary heritage and prepare nominations for inclusion in UNESCO’s international “Memory of the World” Register.
The event has been organized by the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI), in collaboration with the UNESCO National Commissions of Indonesia and the Republic of Korea, as well as the Korea Heritage Service.
The opening ceremony was attended by Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Giring Ganesha, and Kwibae Kim, Chair of the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for the Asia-Pacific region.
Described as the largest workshop in the history of the UNESCO “Memory of the World” Programme, the event has brought together participants from Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Palau, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tuvalu. International experts specializing in documentary heritage preservation are also participating in the training.
The workshop’s agenda includes practical sessions on nomination procedures, assessing the physical condition of documentary collections, risk management and preparing materials for long-term digital preservation. These activities are designed to equip participating countries with the knowledge and technical expertise needed to safeguard documentary heritage for future generations.
Turkmenistan is represented at the workshop by Chinar Rustemova, Executive Secretary of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO, and Maksat Meredov, a researcher at the Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan.
The participation of Turkmenistan reflects its engagement in regional and international efforts to preserve documentary heritage and strengthen cooperation under UNESCO initiatives.
The international training workshop will continue until October 18, providing participants with opportunities to exchange expertise, share national experiences and explore practical approaches to the preservation and promotion of documentary heritage across the Asia-Pacific region.
