A new law on heritage preservation set to be passed

By The Inspirer.

Amb. Robert Masozera, Director-General of the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy, has announced that a new draft law on heritage preservation is set to be approved.

He made the statement following a consultative discussion between the Institute of Culture and the media, held on Friday, October 25, 2024, at the Institute’s headquarters in Kacyiru, Kigali City.

Amb. Masozera explained that the discussion was part of the preparations for the International Day for Audiovisual Heritage, celebrated annually on October 27. He noted that Rwanda is marking this day for the fourth time, while other countries are observing the 20th anniversary.

“This day is part of our annual observance of the International Day for Audiovisual Heritage, celebrated worldwide on October 27 under UNESCO. This will be our fourth time marking this day in Rwanda,” he stated.

He added that the event provided a valuable opportunity for participants to exchange ideas on how to safeguard heritage for future generations, enabling them to access and learn from the country’s historical records.

Amb. Masozera highlighted the importance of engaging with the media, as some outlets still hold significant heritage materials.

“This was a good time to exchange ideas, especially to highlight the value of this heritage and its importance, and to seek your support in preserving it. This engagement aimed to raise awareness and explore ways to ensure the safe preservation of the heritage in media custody,” he said.

He further added, “We aim to collaborate in preserving their heritage safely or having them share it with us for long-term storage. Heritage must be preserved as a source of culture and history, to be kept for generations to come.”

Amb. Masozera expressed satisfaction with the current facilities available for storing heritage materials and announced that a new law focused on heritage protection is in the works.

“We are pleased to have excellent facilities for storing these documents. However, the legal framework was lacking, and government institutions holding documents were unsure of the regulations governing their preservation,” he explained.

He revealed that the law draft is nearing completion, with about 50% progress. “We will present it through the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE). This law will specify how to receive, manage, and dispose of heritage documents. This legislation is part of the Ministry’s 2024-2025 agenda and should be finalized by then.”

He mentioned that they have already acquired much heritage material, mostly from Belgium. However, due to legal issues, Belgium has only shared what is stored digitally, and other documents are pending clearance.

He urged citizens to respect documents, as some people use them for wrapping food.

“We expect a lot from citizens. In our research, we found that some people don’t value these documents. For instance, when buying groceries, they sometimes use historical documents as wrapping paper. This is a reminder that documents need to be preserved, and there is now a dedicated national authority for this purpose,” he added.

He also encouraged people with old media like DVDs to bring them to the Institute if they are still in good condition, as they may contain valuable heritage content.

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