Tunis: The National Archives of Tunisia have strongly contested the organisation of a conference on Tunisian audiovisual heritage scheduled for January 23-24, 2026 under the PAMT2 programme (Media Support Programme in Tunisia 2). It denounced the initiative as unauthorised and an infringement on national archival sovereignty, according to an official statement published by the institution. According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, the National Archives assert that the announced conference, titled 'Tunisian Audiovisual Heritage in the Digital Age', is an explicit and unauthorised reproduction of a scientific conference they themselves designed and organised on October 30-31, 2025, with the participation of relevant Tunisian institutions. They denounce 'an intellectual and institutional appropriation of an existing national project carried out without mandate or prior consultation.' The institution also warns of efforts, in its view, to influence Tunisian institutions by imposing 'artificial' models and strat egic directions, disregarding national priorities and principles of archival sovereignty. They further highlight 'the seriousness of including personalities and public institutions in the contested conference programme without prior consultation or official agreement,' seeing this as 'an instrumentalisation of national public and symbolic capital' intended to create 'a fictitious institutional endorsement.' The National Archives stress that defining national archival management strategies cannot be delegated to external actors nor built on imported models without national adaptation. They reaffirm that the preservation of Tunisian audiovisual memory is primarily the responsibility of competent Tunisian institutions and must strictly adhere to scientific ethics. Institutionally, the National Archives of Tunisia emphasise their historical foundation and operational capacities. The archives currently hold materials covering Tunisian history from the late 15th century to the present. The main headquarters, loca ted in Tunis, houses forty-eight (48) storage units with a total capacity of fifty-two (52) linear kilometers of documents, according to the institution's website. The Archives have the spaces and equipment required for proper document preservation. The collections benefit from reliable protection against various degradation factors and remain usable for as long as possible. The National Archives state that, together with their Tunisian partners, they possess 'an established legal framework, normative and methodological tools, qualified human resources and proven institutional experience' to manage, safeguard and valorise archival heritage, including audiovisual materials. Reaffirming their commitment to the preservation, digitisation and promotion of Tunisian audiovisual archives, they emphasise that this strategic endeavour is part of a coordinated and fully sovereign national vision. 'Tunisian national memory is built by Tunisian institutions, according to Tunisian priorities, for the exclusive service o f Tunisia,' concludes the statement, signed by Director General of the National Archives, Hedi Jallab.