Report to the International Council on Archives’ Expert Group on Shared Archival Heritage

What you will find in this resource:

This resource presents the International Survey on Claims of Displaced Archives in Latin America, a report submitted to the ICA’s Expert Group on Shared Archival Heritage (EGSAH) and authored by María Cristina Betancur. The report outlines the background and methodology of the 2024 survey, adapted into Spanish and Portuguese, and explains its implementation across the region. It provides an overview of survey participation, challenges encountered, and the limited number of formal claims identified, while contextualising these results within broader archival traditions and historical dynamics in Latin America.  

In addition to analysing the survey findings, Betancur offers a rich reflection on the concept of displaced archives in the Latin American context, highlighting historical precedents, archival practices, and the factors that have shaped recognition of the phenomenon. The report concludes with recommendations for future outreach, academic engagement, and the development of a new survey that better captures the diversity of archival experiences in the region. This resource supports researchers, archivists, and policymakers interested in shared archival heritage and the evolving discussions around displaced archives.

 

Languages:

• English 

• Spanish 

• Portuguese