The EURBICA/ICDH Workshop, “Promoting European Joint Nominations to the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register,” has generated strong interest from across Europe following the call for participation launched in January 2026.
The call invited EURBICA National Archives to take part in a specialised workshop in Madrid (20–22 April 2026), designed to support institutions already exploring or developing joint nominations to the UNESCO Memory of the World (MoW) International Register. The response reflects a clear commitment across the region to strengthening collaborative approaches to documentary heritage.
Applications have been received from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. Scholarships for selected participants from these countries will be processed in the coming days.
At the heart of the workshop is a focus on advancing joint nominations through shared expertise and dialogue. Participants will work on nomination projects involving multiple countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, highlighting the growing importance of cross-border cooperation in safeguarding and promoting documentary heritage.
The workshop will also benefit from the contribution of leading international experts, including Jan Bos, Chair of the UNESCO Memory of the World International Advisory Committee; Dagnija Baltina, Director of the National Library of Latvia; Joachim Gierlichs, Member of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register Sub-committee; and Jussi Nuorteva, Chair of the Finnish MoW National Committee and former UNESCO IAC Vice-Chair.
The workshop will open with a public session on 20 April at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Culture of Spain in Madrid, and the full programme has already been shared. On 21–22 April, selected participants will continue with expert-led evaluation sessions and collaborative exchanges.
Organised for EURBICA members, the workshop is supported financially by the International Centre for Documentary Heritage (ICDH) Korea and hosted in collaboration with the Spanish State Archives.
