UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme was established in 1992 as a global initiative to prevent the losses of important collections held in libraries and archives. This heritage is a shared, common legacy that should be transmitted to later generations. UNESCO consequently implements preservation projects, conducts training workshops and provides technical advice on preservation and access issues as it seeks to build awareness of the contribution of documentary heritage to efficient and accountable management and governance, and to sustainable development. Through its international register, which currently lists 245 items from most countries of the world, the Memory of the World enables the intellectual treasures that have been created by all cultures and in all regions to be better known. This is also facilitated through cooperation with the World Digital Library (www.wdl.org), a joint UNESCO/Library of Congress initiative that promotes access to significant collections held anywhere in the world.