On Wednesday, June 12, 2025, the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA) celebrated International Archives Day at Mvog-Betsi, as part of the International Archives Week, held from June 9 to 13, 2025.

Held under the theme #Archives_Accessible_for_All, the event highlighted the vital role of archives in public governance, administrative transparency, and the preservation of collective memory.

The celebration began with a guided tour of the exhibition stands led by the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr. TAÏGA, accompanied by several directors and the Technical Adviser No. 1. The stands, beautifully arranged, showcased various sectors including aquaculture, fisheries, dairy production, fossil exhibitions, and dairy products by local exhibitors.

Each booth provided the public with an insight of MINEPIA’s diverse activities, emphasizing how archives ensure monitoring, traceability, and the valorization of operations.

The theme “Archives Accessible for All” was expressed through a series of initiatives aimed at opening up archival access to the public, both physically and digitally. The objective is clear: to make archives available and consultable by everyone, particularly through digital means, while ensuring their security, preservation, and optimal use.

This year’s flagship innovation was the launch of a digital application, EMC CONSULTING, designed to facilitate access to staff records. The application offers fast, secure, and structured access to internal data, reflecting the Ministry’s commitment to digital governance.

In the days leading up to the celebration, several preparatory activities were carried out:

* A round table discussion with staff from the Sub-Directorate of Documentation and Archives

* The drafting of terms of reference (ToRs)

* The preparation and distribution of invitations

* Technical and logistical coordination for the exhibitions

To foster capacity building and experience sharing, benchmarking visits are scheduled in other ministries, notably MINESUP and MINEFOP. Letters have already been sent to these institutions to compare archival practices and draw useful insights to improve MINEPIA’s own archival management.

DÉFO KAPTUE Herve Renaud, a Contract Officer in the Sub-Directorate of Documentation and Archives at MINEPIA, emphasized the significance of the event:

“Archives Day is an opportunity for professionals to showcase their daily expertise. Archives are the memory of humanity — without them, we would not know where we came from or where we are going.”

A rich and forward-looking edition, confirming that institutional memory is a powerful tool for performance and transparency in public administration.

                                                                      Djuikwi F. Linda Inès, Senior translator