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Mali

Government agencies and cultural heritage in Mali

Accordning to Law No. 85-40/AN-RM of July 1985 relating to the protection of national cultural heritage the State is responsible for the protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage. Recording and inventorying cultural heritage follows from a decision of a competent authority, according to Section I(8). Hence, the law does not specifically designate the State as the sole administrational body responsible for the recording and inventorying of cultural heritage. Nevertheless, The Ministry of Culture in Mali has an agency which is responsible for cultural heritage. Direction Nationale du Patrimoine Culturel was created in 2001 and has a general responsibility to coordinate the work with cultural heritage on a regional basis. They identify and inventory all cultural heritage in the country so that it can be protected and restored. Besides this, they are also responsible for spreading the message of the significance of heritage. The agency is divided in four units, of which the unit responsible for sites, historical monuments and traditional architecture supposedly is the most relevant for this project.

Legislated protection of cultural heritage in Mali

Malian law refer to cultural heritage as all movable and immovable cultural properties which, for religious or secular reasons, are important for history, art, thought, science and technology. Immovable properties are further defined as properties which by their nature cannot be moved without causing damage to themselves and their environment (No. 85-40/AN-RM). Part II within this law defines protection of cultural heritage. Protection refers to all measures aimed at preventing destruction and illicit, transformation, excavation, alienation, exploitation and export.

• Data about cultural heritage is stored by the following organization:
• The data is available through: <offline, bulk download, api, linked data, printed reports>
• The data includes information about the following: <base data (ID, type etc.), geographical, archaeological/architectural, images>

Policy decisions on access to public information

There is no law that grants every natural or legal person a right to information from public authorities, nor any corresponding obligation to public authorities to disclose information.

Regulation hindering the distribution of pictures in Mali

Ordinance laying down the Regime of Literary and Artistic Property (No. 77-46 CMLN of July 12, 1977) regulate freedom of panorama in Mali. Article 36 only allows for reproduction of works (including figurative art and architecture) via film or broadcast if the work is included incidentally or in the background. This suggests that photography is altogether excluded, and thus conflicts with Wiki Common’s standard license CC-BY-SA. Later legislation supposedly confirms this in 2008, though only available in French.

Museum or archives that are willing to add their material

National Museum of Mali (Bamako)

Network of contacts: Mali

Cultural heritage has always been an important part of the national belonging to the people of Mali. Hence, the role culture serves cannot be underestimated. The French who were in control during the colonial period did not destroy or mishandle the invaluable heritage, but rather supported its preservation. There are today several groups within the civil society that actively work with cultural heritage in the country.

We started reaching out to the Swedish embassy in Bamako. Annika has a long and solid experience of the country, both from various collaborations during the inception of the embassy in 1999, and later as accredited ambassador in Mali (stationed in Senegal) in between 2003 and 2006. While contact has been made, communication has been slow. We have yet to obtain any additional information.

Wikimedia activity in Mali

There is no chapter or user group in Mali. Mali has not yet participated in Wiki Loves Monuments.