Hanoi (VNA) – An international workshop held in Hanoi on June 15 highlighted the historical, scientific and cultural values of the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO) photo collection and its potential for inscription on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
Co-organised by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), the EFEO in Paris and UNESCO's Hanoi Office, the event focused on the nearly 40,000 photographs taken from the late 19th to the early 20th century by generations of EFEO scholars, documenting the culture, history, architecture and society of Vietnam and Indochina.
The collection, now digitised through cooperation between EFEO and the VASS's Institute of Social Sciences Information, has been made available online to support global research and public access. The digitisation effort is also an important step towards preparing a nomination dossier for UNESCO recognition.
UNESCO Representative to Vietnam Jonathan Wallace Baker said the collection serves as a valuable source of reference for archaeology, heritage conservation, ethnology and architectural studies while contributing to future World Heritage nominations in Vietnam.
He stressed the need for professional preservation, sustainable digital archiving, and responsible access policies, which are crucial for documentary heritage to retain authencity, accessibility, and long-term value.
Baker also affirmed UNESCO's continued cooperation with Vietnam, France and partners across the Asia-Pacific to support documentary heritage preservation, promote the goals of the Memory of the World Register, and encourage dialogue on shared documentary heritage./.
