IASA 2018 Annual Conference

The 2003 UNESCO convention for "safeguarding intangible cultural heritage" combined with the celebrations of ‘’World Day for audiovisual heritage" are raising general awareness of the need to preserve and safeguard important sounds recordings and moving images, in Africa, for the next generations, as well as to meet the cultural identity challenge in a globalized world. Based on many surveys conducted in its eight member countries, from 2004 to 2014, the West African Economic and monetary Union (WAEMU) issued a common legal audiovisual deposit to bridge the legislative gap. This paper shows how audiovisual materials deterioration and loss are due to weak legislative framework. It also explores and examines the new legal infrastructure (unique in all the world), with an emphasis on its innovations and limits in the digital age. It discusses also the challenges of implementing that common regulation in the eight member states.