Abdelaziz Abid said that he had little to report - there were few funds available. The main point of placing this on the Agenda was to stress to the IAC the need for them to assist with the task of generating extra-budgetary income for the Programme. More partners in specific projects would be welcomed. The generosity of Norway in funding the Slave Trade Archives Project was an example that, hopefully, will be followed by other countries.

Ingunn Kvisterøy of the Norwegian National Commission for UNESCO gave a short report on the Slave Trade Archives Project. It was being funded by the Norwegian Development Agency (NORAD) and would provide assistance with the preservation of historical documents and oral tradition on the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It aims at providing training, equipment and technical assistance to National Archives and other institutions holding documents in Angola, Benin, Ghana, Mozambique and Senegal. It was recognized that the Project covered only the African part of the trade. The rules of NORAD currently prevent it from funding work in the Americas.

Abdelaziz Abid asked if other funding partners could work in co-operation with NORAD to expand the Project to include the American element of the trade.

The Norwegian National Commission for UNESCO has been talking with a commercial fund-raising company, Sponsor Service, about the possibilities of attracting sponsors to the Memory of the World Programme. UNESCO does not have the resources or specialist staff to undertake such specialized work. Sponsor Service has some experience of working on cultural projects but would probably require as a fee 10% of the income raised.

Philippe Quéau suggested to take advantage of the year 2000 to arrange specific activities to promote the Programme, for instance by highlighting year 1000 documentary heritage.