What are Human Rights archives?
Archives relating to Human Rights can be divided in to four main categories:
Archives relating to significant moments in the history of the struggle for Human Rights, such as women’s suffrage, historic declaration of rights, and people associated with the defense of human rights.
Archives of repressive bodies, such as prisons or concentration camps, security agencies, military archives, and those of the judiciary.
Archives of ‘civil society’ involved in defence of human rights such as victims’ organisations, archives of parties, trade unions and clandestine opposition associations, or those in exile.
Archives of institutions created after the fall of repressive regimes, established to judge those responsible for the violation of human rights or to achieve reparations, such as truth and reconciliation commissions.
Already many records relating to Human Rights are inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
Want to learn more?
International Council on Archives, Archives and Human Rights Group.
The Basic Principles on the Role of Archivists and Records Managers in Support of Human Rights, developed by the Human Rights Working Group of the International Council on Archives (ICA).
The Universal Declaration on Archives adopted by the 36th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO on 10th November 2011
Principles of Access to Archives, International Council on Archives (ICA)