HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Mai Văn Chính has approved the submission of a nomination dossier for the documentary heritage of Indochina-era archives preserved in France and Việt Nam (1862–1954) to UNESCO for inscription on the Memory of the World Register.

Under Document No. 1444/VPCP-KGVX, the Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs in carrying out the necessary procedures and working with the French side to submit the dossier to UNESCO in accordance with regulations on cultural heritage and UNESCO guidelines.

The process must ensure compliance with international treaties and commitments to which Việt Nam is a signatory, the letter of intent signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs of Việt Nam and the Ministry of Culture of France, as well as other relevant legal provisions.

The MoFA and the Việt Nam National Commission for UNESCO have been tasked with supporting the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other relevant agencies in mobilising international consensus. They are also expected to further promote Việt Nam’s role within UNESCO’s governing mechanisms.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been requested to work closely with the French side to finalise the nomination dossier and adhere strictly to the submission schedule, ensuring full compliance with regulations on national security, sovereignty, cultural heritage, archives, protection of state secrets, access to information and other applicable laws.

According to the State Records and Archives Department, part of the archives from the French colonial period (1858–1954) is preserved in Việt Nam, while the remainder is held in France.

In Việt Nam, the documents are safeguarded at National Archives Centres I, II and IV, with a total volume of around 9,000 metres of shelving, comprising 84 record groups. The remaining materials are preserved at the French National Overseas Archives in Aix-en-Provence under a 1950 agreement between French High Commissioner Léon Pignon and Bảo Đại, the last emperor of Việt Nam’s final feudal dynasty.

The archives include administrative records of Indochina-level authorities as well as regional and provincial administrations. They also contain technical documentation related to nearly 150 architectural works, including administrative buildings, hospitals, schools, irrigation facilities and transport infrastructure across northern, central and southern regions, along with more than 20,000 maps produced by the Indochina Geographic Service and provincial administrative bodies.

Việt Nam currently has three documentary heritages recognised by UNESCO: the Nguyễn Dynasty woodblocks, the imperial records of the Nguyễn Dynasty and the stone steles of doctoral laureates at the Temple of Literature. — VNA/VNS