QNL, GAC sign MoU to protect cultural and documentary heritage

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Library (QNL) and the General Authority of Customs (GAC) in Qatar have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understand...

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Library (QNL) and the General Authority of Customs (GAC) in Qatar have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise in protecting cultural heritage and combating illicit trafficking in cultural heritage. Under the MoU, the two entities will collaborate in terms of training, capacity building.

Signed by Executive Director QNL Tan Huism, and Director of the Regional Customs Training Center at GAC, Mubarak Ibrahim Al Buainain, the MoU recognises the library’s role as the IFLA Regional Center for the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage in Arab countries and the Middle East.

It further broadens the scope of the ongoing cooperation between the two entities in preserving and protecting documentary heritage in particular, through initiatives such as the “Himaya” project and the recently hosted “Third Doha Workshop to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Heritage”.

The four-year MoU aims to strengthen the partnership and exchange of expertise between the two parties in eight strategic areas, with a focus on cooperation, coordination, and participation in national and regional training workshops.

These workshops aim to educate employees of local and regional customs authorities on legal frameworks, international agreements, and methods to combat illicit trafficking in cultural heritage, with a focus on documentary heritage.