Universal Declaration on Archives 10th Anniversary

Commemorate this very important milestone by sharing the Declaration and signing the online register.

By celebrating the Universal Declaration on Archives, you support the preservation and universal accessibility of the world’s documentary heritage!

The International Council on Archives invites all archivists, records managers and the general public, to celebrate this anniversary. The Universal Declaration on Archives was initiated by the International Council on Archives and adopted in Paris by the UNESCO on the 10th of November 2011. UNESCO encourages its Member States to be guided by the principles set out in the Declaration.

The document has been translated into many languages. Archives secure human rights, establish a collective memory and underpin accountable and transparent governments.

The Declaration is a call to action and seeks engagement in archival issues by governments, decision makers and the general public.

UNESCO acknowledges the important role that archives play in support of the democratic rights of citizens,

Congratulates the International Council on Archives on its work in drawing up the Universal Declaration on Archives;
Endorses the Universal Declaration on Archives as developed and adopted by the International Council on Archives;
Encourages Member States to be guided by the principles set out in the Universal Declaration on Archives when planning and implementing future strategies and programmes nationally.

The International Council on Archives proposes that you should:

download the document in your own language
post it in your office or common area of your institution and
sign the Declaration online Register.

It is essential to know the foundation text of our profession and to support archives for a better future.

We count on you to share the Declaration and the link to the Register on your social networks and listservs.

Register for the Online Course: "Understanding and Using the Universal Declaration on Archives"

This course is about the Universal Declaration on Archives, the story of how it came into being, what it is all about (including an introduction to the principles and concepts of archives and records management) and how it can be used for advocacy and evaluation work. It is intended for a wide audience, both those working in archives and records management and those with little or no knowledge of the field. It is a beginner level course, suitable for anyone, in any field, who wants to gain a thorough understanding of the Universal Declaration on Archives and how it can be used to support records and archives management, accountability, transparency and memory.