The reality of the Syrian archive and its challenges between the past and the future.

The Rida Saeed Conference Hall at Damascus University hosted an international workshop that addressed the current state of Syrian archives and the challenges they face, both past and future. The workshop was held under the auspices of the Ministries of Culture and Higher Education and Scientific Research, in cooperation with Damascus University and the Syrian Archives Initiative. Academics and researchers from Syria and several Arab and international countries participated. The sessions addressed the archives crisis in the absence of a legal framework and a specialized national institution, the necessity of establishing a public authority for national archives, the protection of historical archives, and the recovery of state documents not currently used administratively. Comparative international experiences were also reviewed. Attendees included the Minister of Culture, Muhammad Yassin Al-Saleh, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Marwan Al-Halabi, several deputy ministers, deans of faculties, and specialized academics and researchers.