BEIRUT/İSTANBUL

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that the nomination of Tele Liban’s archive for inclusion in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register marks a key step toward restoring Lebanon’s standing in the global media and documentation landscape.

Speaking at a ceremony held at Tele Liban’s headquarters in Hazmieh, southeast of Beirut, Aoun described the archive of the state-run broadcaster as a “genuine national treasure” that chronicles decades of Lebanon’s political, cultural and media history.

He said the initiative reflects Lebanon’s return to its “natural place” internationally and underscores the importance of preserving the country’s documentary heritage at a global level.

Aoun added that the revival of Tele Liban carries broader significance, calling it a message of hope that Lebanon is capable of recovery and institutional renewal.

“We are witnessing the emergence of a new Lebanon through the revival of its national institutions and the restoration of their core roles,” he said, noting that developments at Tele Liban embody this wider reform trajectory.

UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register aims to safeguard the documentary heritage of outstanding universal value and ensure its preservation and accessibility for future generations.

Information Minister Paul Morcos said Tele Liban’s archive represents a unifying national memory, stressing that protecting and digitizing the material has been a priority for the ministry.

Tele Liban Board Chair Elissar Naddaf said the nomination file was officially submitted to UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris last week, following the completion of the digitization process with support from UNESCO’s Beirut office.

She said the broadcaster is pursuing a broader recovery plan that includes upgrading technical infrastructure, improving content quality, and reinforcing its role as an inclusive national media platform.

Naddaf noted that Tele Liban has already benefited from support provided by the Turkish Embassy, which helped refurbish several departments, and is set to receive additional assistance from the Chinese Embassy to equip its news studio.

In September last year, Türkiye’s Embassy in Beirut launched a project to modernize editing facilities and establish a studio at Tele Liban through a grant from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

Founded in 1959, Tele Liban is Lebanon’s official broadcaster and the first television station in the Middle East. It played a pivotal role for decades in documenting the country’s political, cultural and artistic life before its influence waned due to prolonged financial and administrative challenges. Authorities are now working to restore its role as a national public media institution.