UNESCO Memory of the World (MoW) Programme

UNESCO Memory of the World (MoW) Programme Latest News

Recently, UNESCO has added manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharata’s Natyashastra to the Memory of the World (MoW) Register in 2025.

What is the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme?

• The MoW Programme was launched by UNESCO in 1992 with the goal of preserving global documentary heritage and preventing what it called “collective amnesia.”
• It aims to safeguard rare documents, including manuscripts, oral traditions, audio-visual content, and archive materials, of global and universal value.
• According to UNESCO, this documentary heritage should be preserved, protected, and permanently accessible to all, while respecting cultural practices.
• The MoW Register serves as a global compendium of such heritage, and is updated biennially (every two years).
• As of 2025, the Register contains 570 entries, including:
  • The Mahavamsa (Sri Lanka’s ancient chronicle),
  • Shaiva Siddhanta manuscripts (India),
  • Auschwitz trial recordings (Germany),
  • And the March 7, 1971 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bangladesh).

India’s Contributions to the MoW Register

• India has made 13 contributions, including two joint submissions:
  • Rig Veda (added in 2005),
  • Works of Abhinavagupta, the Shaivite philosopher (added in 2023),
  • Archives of the Non-Aligned Movement’s first summit in Belgrade, 1961 (joint submission),
  • Dutch East India Company archives (joint submission).
• In 2025, two new Indian manuscripts were added, both preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune:
  • Natyashastra by Bharata Muni
  • Bhagavad Gita, attributed to Vyasa

UNESCO Memory of the World (MoW) Programme FAQs

Q1. What is the UNESCO Memory of the World Program?
Ans. The MoW Program aims to preserve and provide universal access to documentary heritage of global significance, like manuscripts, archives, and audio-visual materials.

Q2. When was the MoW Program launched?
Ans. The UNESCO Memory of the World Program was launched in 1992 to safeguard documentary heritage from decay, damage, or deliberate destruction.

Q3. Name one Indian entry in the MoW Register.
Ans. The "Rigveda Manuscripts" preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune are inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

Source: IE