The Arab Regional Branch of the International Council for Archive adopts Arabcin call to celebrate the Arab Document Day.

The Arab Regional Branch of the International Council for Archive held the Ottoman Archive Forum. Among the most important recommendations set by the forum is the establishment of the Arab Document Day. This call was first initiated by the Arab Club for Information Arabcin to determine and celebrate a specific day in the year, The Arab Document Day", in all the Arab countries, as a way of prevailing awareness on the importance of Arab Document and to give more attention to the fields of documents and Archive.

The Arab Regional Branch of the International Council for Archive held a forum on "Ottoman Archive" in Ryad, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 13-16/5/2001 upon an invitation from King Abdel Aziz Center.

The forum was held under the patronage of Prince Salman Bin Abdel Aziz, prince of the District of Ryad and head of Directorate Council of King Abdel Aziz center.

39 Members participated in the forum. The main axis of the submitted papers and the discussions revolved around the importance of the Ottoman Documents, both the documents in Turkey or in the Arab countries and the need to benefit from them. The papers were submitted and discussed in five sessions.

Also discussed in the sessions; ways of looking through the documents that are related to the Arab countries, to be able to study it or obtain a copy.

Participators from 16 Arab countries attended the forum, including Syria with members from the Historic Document Center, and the National Information Center. The General Director of Archive of the Turkey Republic also attended the forum, in addition to a number of Turkish researchers in the field of Ottoman Archive.

The participators had a chance to listen to the initiation of Arabcin to annually celebrate a special Arab Document Day. This call was overwhelming agreed upon among the attendants.

Thus, the participants adopted the call for a special Arab Document Day that aims at prevailing awareness of the importance of Arab Documents in all the Arab countries.

Arabcin has called for the 17th of October to be the Arab Document Day. This initiating step was set before the 105 Document and Information Centers and Institutions affiliated to Arabcin. Among the regional members that agreed to this call are; The Arab Organization for Education, Tunis, The unions of the councils of Arab scientific researches, Baghdad, The Arab Center for the study of Dry Areas (ACSAD), Damascus, in addition to several National Centers in Arab Countries.

The aim of Arabcin to celebrate the Arab Document Day is as follows; To reveal the importance of Arab Documentation and draw the attention to the need to preserve the National Cultural Heritage.

Observe Arab Historic Documents and the roundabout of the original documents both in the Arab and foreign countries.

To set a general glossary for Arab documents in the Arab Nation and abroad. The glossary should be distributed via Arab Net for Information.

Establish the needed plans to retrieve Arab Documents abroad, or at least obtain a copy from them.

Take efforts to make the Arab Day for Documents a day for cooperation and exchange of experience among all institutions working in the field of Information and Documents. Also, a day to set national plans that aims to maintain our document heritage treasures and ways of investing in them.

A renewed call to the need of highlighting documents for its importance in organizing our modern societies in the Age of Information.

Thus, the adoption taken at the mentioned Ottoman Archive Forum, has helped in achieving the backing of Arab Institutions working in the fields of documents, Information and archive. For this initiative step comply with the recommendations set by the forum especially these that call for highlighting the importance of Arab documents, set plans to establish needed glossaries for Arab documents, collect all available Arab documents abroad, and the need to study and restudy our Arab History. Among the recommendations are also:
The establishment of the Arab-Turkish Society for Ottoman Documents.
To obtain the backing of the International Council for Archive and international organizations such as the UNESCO, among others, to assist us in our plans to develop the Arab Archive both in Career and technically.
To pay special attention to all documents concerning Arab and Islamic rights in Palestine.

To pay special attention to all documents concerning the two sacred shrines of Islam.

It is to be noted that the executive office of the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council for Archive held its usual meeting on 13/05/2001. The meeting was attended by : Dr. Muhamad Saber Arab, Head of the Branch a.i, Mr. Walid Bagajati, second deputy of the Head of the Branch, Dr. Souad Al-Atiqui, Treasury Secretary. The attendants discussed several issues and reached related recommendations passed to the General Assembly agreed to the recommendations including :
The nomination of Mr. Samir Gharib, Head of the General Board Council of the National Center for Books and Documents in Egypt, as head of the executive office of the Branch.

Dr. Abdellah Abdel Kareem Ar-Rais head of the Document and Research Center in Abou Dabi, vice head of the executive office of the Branch, Mrs. Wafaa Al Sanau, Kuwait, Treasury Secretary.