"Among all the types of humanity's heritage, the audiovisual heritage is one of those that provide the most direct and intuitive access to the wealth of world cultures and the infinite diversity of human civilization."Message from Irina Bokova
Director-General of UNESCO
on the occasion of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, 27 October 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has a first look at the historic film collection of the United Nations Audio-Visual Library archives. 02 January 2008
United Nations, New York
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2011
See, Hear, and Learn
Audiovisual documents, such as films, radio and television programmes, are our common heritage and contain the primary records of the 20th and 21st centuries. They help to maintain the cultural identity of a people; but countless documentary treasures have disappeared since the invention of image and sound technologies that permit the peoples of the world to better share their experiences, creativity and knowledge.
All of the world's audiovisual heritage is endangered. Nowhere can it be said to be preserved, but through initiatives such as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage and the Memory of the World Programme, the precious work of preservation professionals is given impetus to manage a range of technical, political, social, financial and other factors that threaten the safeguarding of our heritage.