Morocco's national archives aim for new governance to safeguard national memory and digital sovereignty

The first National Conference on Archives in Morocco, held on April 8, 2026, in Rabat under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, focused on establishing new governance for archives. This initiative aims to ensure national memory and digital sovereignty amid technological transformations, positioning archives as a driver for transparency, democracy, and sustainable development. Abdeljalil Lahjomri, Permanent Secretary of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, emphasized that addressing archives is crucial for understanding the country's memory and future. Latifa Moftaqir, Director of Archives of Morocco, called for a collective effort to rethink governance in this sector, highlighting the need to invest in training that combines traditional expertise with technological innovations, including artificial intelligence. This is particularly vital given global competition for information control and the proliferation of misinformation. Bruno Ricard, Head of the Interministerial Archival Service of France, noted that archives enable citizens to assert their rights, while Bahija Simou, Director of the Royal Archives, underscored their strategic importance as the "memory of the State" and a tool for public decision-making. Josée Kirps, President of the International Council on Archives ICA, praised Morocco's model for protecting national memory. Artificial intelligence is seen as a promising solution for preserving the integrity of dematerialized data, though adequate l