When we speak of the Arab Document Day, we remember the difficult times and tremendous efforts that was taken on this day to turn a dream into reality. The first of these steps was the issue of decision no 479, date 17/10/2000 by NICE to found the High Council of Document with the following tasks:

Discussing the issue of documentation in Syria, in specific and the Arab Nation in general. Contributing to set an Arabic strategy that aims at developing document work, and give considerable attention to all forms of documents.

 

Evaluating and monitoring the status of documents, taking into consideration the organizational quality and qualification sides according to available Human and financial resources.

Setting the needed bases to find a mechanism of sustainable development, and improving the quality of work in the field of documentation.

Discussing the short and long term plans in the field of documents and deciding on them. Especially after the issue of decision no. 15/6284, date 24/9/2000 from the Prime Minister Cabinet.


The second step came during the activities of the 4th National Documentation Exhibition NDE. The Head of the Arab Club for Information announced on behalf of Arabcin, during the reception held to honor all those who have participated in the 3rd NDE, that a day in October of each year will be marked as the "Arab Document Day". The reception was held at Damascus International fair on the 4th of October 2000.

On the 28/11/2001 the executive bureau of Arabcin issued decision No.2 that approved to all that was decided on in the first meeting for the Arab Document Day. The timely executing program for the activities of this day was decided.

Afterward, Arabcin sent letters on 17/2/2001 to all concerned Arab Institutions calling on them to adopt and approve on the issue and diffusing it to all institutions and centers working in the field of documents in the Arab Nation. On the 12th of May 2001 the ALESCO agreed on marking the 17th of October as the Arab Document Day.

On the 10th of July 2001, the Prime Minister Cabinet in Syria issued a circulation on the same issue, and on the 21/7/2001 it issued a decision to form the General Central Bureau responsible for celebrating Arab Document Day.