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Issued by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau
PARIS, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed the signing of an agreement to digitise UNESCO's global archive with a $6 million grant from the Sharjah Book Authority. The signing took place Wednesday morning at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, in the presence of his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
Agreement Signed Officially
The agreement was signed by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), and Jennifer Linkins, Assistant Director-General for Administration and Management at UNESCO. The project, based on directives from the Ruler of Sharjah, aims to preserve global heritage, protect important documents, and ensure digital accessibility. It will span five years and include the digitisation of books, manuscripts, audio recordings, documentaries, and various archival materials.
Archive Tour Conducted
His Highness conducted a tour of the UNESCO Library and Archive, examining significant collections including global documents, books, and manuscripts. He was also informed about the essential functions of the library in supporting the organisation's objectives and utilising its cultural.
Preservation Importance Highlighted
During the visit, His Highness viewed a number of aging historical documents, some of which had been impacted by deteriorating conditions. This emphasised the importance of the digitisation agreement.
A Comprehensive Historical Archive
The UNESCO archive stands as one of the largest and most important institutional archives globally, which includes nearly 80 years of historical records. The collection features more than 2.5 million pages of documents, 165,000 rare photographs, and thousands of hours of audio and video recordings, These materials capture pivotal moments in global cultural and educational history.
Digitisation Urgently Needed
Only 5% of the archive has been digitised, highlighting the significant value it holds, yet constrained by limited resources and various logistical and technical challenges. This underscores the critical necessity for assistance to expedite comprehensive digital transformation and protect the archive.
Sharjah's Strategic Initiative
Approximately 95% of the archive remains undigitised, making Sharjah's initiative a significant move towards converting this global legacy into accessible digital content for researchers, academic institutions, and cultural communities around the world.
Sharjah's Vision Confirmed
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi remarked, "This grant exemplifies Sharjah's commitment to preserving human heritage and protecting the world's memory, highlighting knowledge as a fundamental element of sustainable human development. UNESCO's global archive stands as a vital centre for the preservation of heritage, intellect, education, and culture, emphasising that its preserving is a shared moral responsibility."
Knowledge Access Promoted
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi stated, "Sharjah has always held the belief that access to knowledge should be fair and inclusive, and that protecting human memory is vital for fostering creativity and progress. With this initiative, we are creating a new avenue for international collaboration aimed at building a future that respects the past while providing future generations the chance to learn from history and draw inspiration from its lessons."
Ongoing Cultural Leadership
This agreement demonstrates Sharjah's ongoing leadership, under the direction of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, in fostering knowledge and humanitarian initiatives. It reinforces the emirate's position as a global hub for cultural preservation, heritage protection, and the promotion of Arab representation in international intellectual and scientific organisations.
Issued by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau
PARIS, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed the signing of an agreement to digitise UNESCO's global archive with a $6 million grant from the Sharjah Book Authority. The signing took place Wednesday morning at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, in the presence of his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
Agreement Signed Officially
The agreement was signed by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), and Jennifer Linkins, Assistant Director-General for Administration and Management at UNESCO. The project, based on directives from the Ruler of Sharjah, aims to preserve global heritage, protect important documents, and ensure digital accessibility. It will span five years and include the digitisation of books, manuscripts, audio recordings, documentaries, and various archival materials.
Archive Tour Conducted
His Highness conducted a tour of the UNESCO Library and Archive, examining significant collections including global documents, books, and manuscripts. He was also informed about the essential functions of the library in supporting the organisation's objectives and utilising its cultural.
Preservation Importance Highlighted
During the visit, His Highness viewed a number of aging historical documents, some of which had been impacted by deteriorating conditions. This emphasised the importance of the digitisation agreement.
A Comprehensive Historical Archive
The UNESCO archive stands as one of the largest and most important institutional archives globally, which includes nearly 80 years of historical records. The collection features more than 2.5 million pages of documents, 165,000 rare photographs, and thousands of hours of audio and video recordings, These materials capture pivotal moments in global cultural and educational history.
Digitisation Urgently Needed
Only 5% of the archive has been digitised, highlighting the significant value it holds, yet constrained by limited resources and various logistical and technical challenges. This underscores the critical necessity for assistance to expedite comprehensive digital transformation and protect the archive.
Sharjah's Strategic Initiative
Approximately 95% of the archive remains undigitised, making Sharjah's initiative a significant move towards converting this global legacy into accessible digital content for researchers, academic institutions, and cultural communities around the world.
Sharjah's Vision Confirmed
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi remarked, "This grant exemplifies Sharjah's commitment to preserving human heritage and protecting the world's memory, highlighting knowledge as a fundamental element of sustainable human development. UNESCO's global archive stands as a vital centre for the preservation of heritage, intellect, education, and culture, emphasising that its preserving is a shared moral responsibility."
Knowledge Access Promoted
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi stated, "Sharjah has always held the belief that access to knowledge should be fair and inclusive, and that protecting human memory is vital for fostering creativity and progress. With this initiative, we are creating a new avenue for international collaboration aimed at building a future that respects the past while providing future generations the chance to learn from history and draw inspiration from its lessons."
Ongoing Cultural Leadership
This agreement demonstrates Sharjah's ongoing leadership, under the direction of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, in fostering knowledge and humanitarian initiatives. It reinforces the emirate's position as a global hub for cultural preservation, heritage protection, and the promotion of Arab representation in international intellectual and scientific organisations.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Sharjah Ruler signs $6M agreement to digitise UNESCO global archive
Sharjah Ruler signs $6M agreement to digitise UNESCO global archive
Sharjah Ruler signs $6M agreement to digitise UNESCO global archive
GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, GAC's independently developed Quark E-Drive power domain control system has achieved the world's first dual certification for deeply integrated ASIL D functional safety and information security, accredited by DAkkS, Germany's national accreditation body. The certification was evaluated and issued by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. (SGS), a globally recognized certification authority.
ISO 26262 is the internationally recognized core standard for automotive functional safety. Within this framework, ASIL D represents the highest automotive safety integrity level, requiring near-zero tolerance for safety-critical failures. Achieving an ASIL D certification accredited by DAkkS signifies that the certified product meets the highest globally accepted standards for automotive safety.
The certified Quark E-Drive power domain control system has been in production use since February 2025, and is now deployed across multiple models under GAC's brands - HYPTEC and AION. As the industry's first electric drive power domain system based on deep integration using a single main control chip, the solution significantly reduces chip count, minimizes risks associated with chip-level failures, and boosts motor controller efficiency to as high as 99.9%. The certification confirms that GAC has completed the system's full product development lifecycle in strict compliance with ISO 26262:2018 functional safety and ISO/SAE 21434:2021 information security standards.
Throughout the project, GAC Technology Research Center worked closely with SGS experts, strengthening safety design across all development phases while ensuring engineering feasibility and an optimal user experience.
Zhao Hui, Vice President of SGS China, commented: "The successful certification highlights GAC's strong team and robust development systems. We are pleased to support the safety of the Quark E-Drive and look forward to closer collaboration."
This milestone represents a major breakthrough for GAC in e-drive safety and sets a new global benchmark for the intelligent electric vehicle industry.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
GAC's Quark Electric Drive Achieves the World's First DAkkS ASIL D Functional Safety and Information Security Dual Certification
