Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Archives documenting the history of slavery and indentured labour in Mauritius have been placed under the protection of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, enhancing their visibility and supporting conservation. These archives include the Records of the French Occupation of Mauritius, Records of Indentured Immigration, and Slave Trade and Slavery Records from 1721 to 1892. This recognition is described as a vital step toward preserving memory that might otherwise be lost, according to Dr Vijaya Teelock, former Associate Professor at the University of Mauritius and former President of UNESCO’s Slave Route Scientific Committee.
In Mauritius, where preserving archives, artefacts, and oral traditions presents challenges, UNESCO’s recognition has mobilized human and financial resources. The 2023 publication "Memory of the World: documentary heritage treasures of Africa" features Mauritius’s documentary heritage, further supporting preservation efforts.
Dr Teelock highlighted that with these archives safeguarded and accessible, they can serve multiple purposes: research, education, exhibitions, and public dialogue. They also support commemorative activities, museum exhibits, and enable new historical interpretations by scholars.
Additionally, Dr Teelock has played a key role in advancing the inclusion of the Indian Ocean region in UNESCO’s Routes of Enslaved Peoples and Indentured Labour Route initiatives. Since 2017, there has been increased focus on including diverse societies and previously overlooked regions. This highlights the importance of the Southwestern Indian Ocean in the 17th and 18th-century quadrangular colonial slave trade involving Dutch, French, Portuguese, and British colonial networks across the Indian Ocean and East Africa.