Haiti nominates Le Nouvelliste archives for UNESCO heritage register

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s government has nominated the archives of Le Nouvelliste, the country’s oldest daily newspaper, for inclusion in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

The Ministry of Culture and Communication submitted the collection on March 3, describing the archive as a record of “exceptional heritage value” that documents more than a century of Haitian history.

Founded on May 1, 1898, Le Nouvelliste is Haiti’s oldest daily newspaper and one of the longest-running French-language newspapers in the Americas. Its archives include printed editions, photographs, thematic files, administrative records and contemporary digital documents.

The nomination is being coordinated with Haiti’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship and the Haitian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO.

“With more than 125 years serving the Haitian nation, it represents a unique documentary source for the country’s political, economic, social and cultural history,” the Ministry of Culture said in a statement signed by former Minister Patrick Delatour. “The institution reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Haiti’s documentary heritage and transmitting it to future generations.”

If approved, inclusion in UNESCO’s International Memory of the World Register—among approximately 600 inscriptions — could support efforts to preserve and digitize the newspaper’s archives, improving access for researchers and the public while highlighting the role of independent journalism in democratic societies.

“With more than 125 years serving the Haitian nation, it represents a unique documentary source for the country’s political, economic, social, and cultural history.”

Haiti’s Ministry of Culture and Communication

“The newspaper will turn 128 in May, which means 128 years of testimony and photographs,” Max Chauvet, owner and CEO of Le Nouvelliste, told The Haitian Times. “It is the story of an entire country, preserved through the pages of the newspaper.”

Chauvet said he is still learning what the submission process entails but hopes it will help make the archives more accessible through international libraries and research institutions.

“It will be better for everyone who needs to consult the newspaper for various types of research,” Chauvet said.

Like most media outlets in Haiti, Le Nouvelliste has faced major disruptions due to the country’s security crisis. In April 2024, gang violence forced the newspaper to leave its headquarters in downtown Port-au-Prince and relocate to Pétion-Ville, about seven miles southeast.

“It is the story of an entire country, preserved through the pages of the newspaper.”

Max Chauvet, Owner and CEO of Le Nouvelliste

The attack also forced the newspaper to halt its print edition, pushing it to shift its operations entirely online.

In a global context where preserving historical memory has become a priority for UNESCO, Haitian authorities say the submission aims to safeguard one of the country’s most important documentary collections, particularly records that chronicle the lives and experiences of Haitians over more than a century.

For Chauvet, the long-term goal remains the digitization of the newspaper’s archives — while still hoping that one day Le Nouvelliste might return to print, even in a limited format.

“We must keep a written newspaper alive in people’s minds,” Chauvet said. “We hope for print editions in better days — perhaps not for the general public, but for collectors, libraries and schools.”

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