Records of French Slaves Inscribed on UN World Heritage Register

French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)
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Records of French Slaves Inscribed on UN World Heritage Register

French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)

Several hundred documents and items revealing the names and other details of victims of slavery in France’s colonial empire is being added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.

This latest addition, which the UN cultural agency approved last week, marks the first time that France has pushed for the inscription of documents on the UNESCO register that were previously archived in France's present-day overseas territories.

The Memory of the World register was set up in 1992 "to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, decay over time," according to UNESCO.

The documents date from between the 17th and 19th centuries, from places including the modern-day nations of Haiti, Mauritius and Senegal and the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Mayotte, Martinique and Reunion.

They represent just a fraction of some 4 million people "enslaved in the French colonial empire, whether victims of trafficking or born locally into a status of servitude," according to the French Foundation for the Memory of Slavery that lobbied for the inscription.

"These generations of women, men and children lived there without civil status, but not without traces," the foundation said Tuesday in a statement.

The records include documents in the administrative, fiscal or religious sphere that feature the victim's name, age, sex, professional skills, and sometimes his or her physical characteristics.

The records have for years been kept by the Territorial Archives of Martinique and French Guiana, the Departmental Archives of Guadeloupe, Reunion, the Overseas National Archives and the National Archives of Haiti.



World of Silence: Riyadh Sculpture Exhibition Celebrates Language of Silence

The exhibition is part of the Art Week Riyadh. SPA
The exhibition is part of the Art Week Riyadh. SPA
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World of Silence: Riyadh Sculpture Exhibition Celebrates Language of Silence

The exhibition is part of the Art Week Riyadh. SPA
The exhibition is part of the Art Week Riyadh. SPA

As part of the inaugural Art Week Riyadh, "A World of Silence" exhibition creates an open artistic dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Egypt through sculptures showcasing unique visions and diverse artistic expressions from artists of both nations, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Focusing on silence as a powerful artistic language, this exhibition offers a contemplative experience. The sculptures on display encourage a sensory engagement with shapes, masses, and spaces, embodying the fusion of concept and material and showcasing sculpture's ability to surpass the limitations of language, time, and culture, SPA said.
The sculpture exhibition acts as a visual bridge connecting people and places, exploring the emotional and symbolic depths of the art. It invites quiet contemplation and detailed immersion, encouraging interpretations that move beyond surface form to reveal profound meaning, it said.
The exhibition is part of the Art Week Riyadh series of events, which encompasses more than 100 activities in various locations across the capital. It contributes to enhancing the status of visual arts in the cultural landscape, in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 towards supporting creative industries and empowering artists locally and internationally, SPA added.