The Basic Principles on the Role of Archivists in Support of Human Rights, set forth
below, have been formulated to assist governments and non-governmental
institutions in their task of ensuring the proper role of archivists in support of
human rights. The Principles should be respected and taken into account within the
framework of national legislation and practice on the safeguarding and promotion
of human rights, non-governmental institutions employing archivists should
respect the Basic Principles and apply them, as appropriate, within their institution,
and all United Nations Special Rapporteurs and other international officials dealing
with human rights issues should be aware of the importance of the issues covered by
the Basic Principles.
Selecting and Retaining Archives
1. Institutions and archivists maintain recordkeeping regimes that protect records
that document human rights and act to ensure that mismanagement of records
does not contribute to impunity for human rights violations.
2. Archivists ensure that they select, acquire and retain historically and legally
important materials without discrimination based on race, color, ethnic origin,
gender, sexual preference, language, religion, political or other opinion, national
or social origin, property, birth, economic or other status.
3. Archivists consider in each appraisal decision the utility of the records to support
or identify a claim of human rights, to assist in the identification of perpetrators
of human rights violations, to permit the identification of persons whose service
in past regimes may disqualify them from service in the current regime, to
clarify the events that led to the violation of human rights, to help resolve the
fate of missing persons, or to enable individuals to seek compensation for past
violations of human rights.
4. Archivists and institutions prevent the destruction of records that are likely to
contain evidence of the violation of human rights.
5Governments ensure that archives concerning violations of human rights and
humanitarian law are preserved and access to them is provided, whether these
archives are in state custody or in the control of nongovernmental bodies or
individuals, and ensure the provision of sufficient funding and other resources
for their professional management.
6. Archivists and institutions ensure that the records of temporary bodies
established to assist in transitional justice are protected and preserved, both
while the entity exists and after it closes; public notice will be given prior to the
disposal of any records from these bodies.
Providing Access to Information in Archives
7. Archivists include in the description of their holdings information that to the
best of their knowledge enables the user to understand whether the records
would be useful to exercise a claim of human rights, to assist in the identification
of perpetrators of human rights violations, to permit the identification of the
employment history of persons, to clarify the events that led to the violation
of human rights, to help resolve the fate of missing persons, or to enable
individuals to seek compensation for past violations of human rights.
8. Archivists provide timely description of the records in the holdings to ensure
equal, fair and effective access for users.
9. Archivists advocate and support the right of access to government records
and encourage institutions to provide similar access to non-government
records, in accordance with the Principles of Access to Archives adopted by the
International Council on Archives in August 2012.
10. All persons are entitled to call upon the assistance of an archivist to assist
in establishing their rights. Archivists provide reference service without
discrimination based on race, color, ethnic origin, gender, sexual preference,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property,
birth, economic or other status.
11. Archivists ensure that persons seeking to defend themselves from charges of
violations of human rights are afforded access to archives.
12. Governments, institutions, professional associations of archivists and
individuals promote programs to inform the public about their right of access
to archives and the important role of archivists in protecting their fundamental
freedoms. Special attention should be given to assisting the poor and other
disadvantaged persons so as to enable them to assert their rights and where
necessary call upon the assistance of archivists.
Special Safeguards
13. When archivists discover records that appear to document violations of human
rights, whether in their holdings or in records or personal papers that are not yet
transferred to an archive, archivists notify the relevant government, legislative
and/or oversight authorities so that the materials can be reviewed for possible
use in legal action.
14. Institutions and archivists respect the cultural and legal patrimony of nations
and groups and do not acquire materials that would diminish the ability of these
entities to protect their human rights or to seek compensation for previous
damage to their human rights.
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