The initiative launched by the National Information Center (NICE), to specialize a special day to celebrate the Arab Document, has become a comprehensive Arab move and action, especially after being adopted by the Arab Club for Information (Arabcin).

This step was taken at the end of the activities of the 4th National Documentation Exhibition (Damascus - 20/10 - 4/11 2000) as an aim towards prevailing awareness and enhancing the importance of documents. The 105 Arab Institutions, members of Arabcin working in the field of information processing, production and circulation welcomed the decision, the announcement of the Arab Document Day, for it fulfils their ambitions and crowns their ever growing activities. It is by no doubt also the start of a new stage of development and enrichment of a field long neglected by the public and private sectors despite its importance and role in development and process as a whole.

The ALESCO decision, to determine an Arab Document Day, a big success:
During the meeting of the Arab Regional Branch, held in Riad, Saudi Arabia 13-16/5/2001 (see our report p7), the participants agreed overwhelming to Arabcin's suggestion.

Then came the next step; ALESCO announced decision /article 24, 2001/; determining 17th October as the Arab Document Day, to be celebrated all over the Arab Nation. It called for its General Director to get in contact with all the Arab countries and Arabcin, to decide on the activities and National programs to be prepared for this occasion.

Thus, since the decision is taken by a specialized organization affiliated to the League for Arab State, it reflects not only the official governmental interest in the field of information, documents and Archives, but also the popular interest reflected via the NGOs. This is quite important for it is well known that the NGOs have a certain amount of flexibility and ability to create and provide expertise in the field of information and documents. When given a chance to become involved, the NGOs provide much needed support for different governmental activities. The NGOs can go as far as relieving the government of a big burden, to become a voluntary partner in the comprehensive development process. One of the most important vital role these voluntary institutions play is the building of Arab channels and nets for information. This in turn helps in expanding the scope of coordination and development, the exchange of experiences and expertise, facilitates the transfer and broadcast of information to reach the user where ever he may be. This in turn forms the fundamental activity of Arabcin, which puts all efforts to activate the mechanism of cooperation, coordination, the exchange of experiences and skills among Arab institutions working in the field of information processing. During the relatively "young age" of Arabcin, it was able to prove its credibility among the related Arab institutions due to its vital and important role from eat to west. These facts are daily proven all over the Arab Nation.

The Prime Minister office in the Syrian Arab Republic issues a communiqué to celebrate the Arab Document Day :

"Due to the importance of the document in preserving the heritage, history and basic role of the nation, preserving the memory of the modern institutions, motivating the institutions in a modern method, developing its process, backing decision making, drawing future plans according to document information that form the real memory of institution, state and nation.."

This is the preliminary of the communiqué issued by the Prime Minister Office in the Syrian Arab Republic and which called for all public and private sectors to participate in the activities of Document Day, and to coordinate with NICE which established a special office for celebrating the Arab Document Day. The communiqué also called for related sectors to issue special cards for the Arab Document Day, prepare T.V and radio related programs and hold a special seminar on Document related issues and topics.

Also, to set a homepage for this occasion, and reassure that topics related to documents and heritage are included in educational curricula. It is also of great importance to honor specialists in documents.

The report also calls "to use up to date methods to preserve the documents, and to use the Internet to develop research services in documents and archive. All this aims at facilitating the work of researchers and enhance scientific research". The communiqué added; that celebrating Arab Document Day has : a national importance and achievement that is shown via the results on all political, economic, educational, scientific, and cultural fields, and development plans in all Arab countries. The communiqué ended with a reassurance that :"The Arab Documents, with all the developing methods, forms a critical factor that eliminates all forms of bureaucracy and neglect. And most important, that forms a vital weapon to confront Zionism and globalization.