RESOLUTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND WISHES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY INTERNATIONNAL ARCHIVES CONGRESS HELD IN WASHINGTON, MAY 9-13, 1966

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00450R000100070017-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 1998
• Sequence Number: 17
• Content Type: REPORT

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Resolutions, Recommendations and Wishes
of the Extraordinary International Archives Congress
held in Washington, May 9-13, 1966
1. The Extraordinary Congress reaffirms that one of the principal objec-
tive.s-of the International Council on Archives is "to facilitate more
frequent use of archives and the effective and impartial study of the
documents they contain by making their content more widely known and
by encouraging greater freedom of..,access", as, stated in Article 2 of
the ICA Constitution.
2. The Congress expresses the wish that researchers, irrespective of na-?
tionality, should everywhere be accorded equal and easy facilities
for access to archives, and that every means should be employed to
make this principle effective. It requests that the Executive Commit-
tee of the ICA investigate the possibility of creating an internation-
al readers1card to serve as a recommendation of the bearer to foreign
archival institutions, and that it submit a report to this effect at
the next session of the General Assembly that will take place in 1968.
3. In view of the needs of contemporary historical, dconomic and social
science, the Congress expresses the wish that responsible archival
authorities strive to obtain substantial liberalization of the rules
of access by reducing, if possible, the restriction periods in effect,
and, in addition, by opening certain. categories of documents to re-
search use before expiration of the prescribed term.
4. Arrangement and the ~mr
preparation of finding aids being the principal
functions of archivists, the Congress expresses the wish that this
work be accelerated and that comprehensive guides to documentary
sources be published. It desires especially that archival deposito-
ries be provided with qualified personnel`in sufficient numbers to
carry out as rapidly as possible the work required to permit access
to the increasingly voluminous archives of contemporary times.
Inasmuch as current concepts in the copyright field may have an in-
fluence on research in archives, the-Congress desires that the Inter-
national Round Table Conference put this problem on the agenda of
its next meeting.
The Congress desires, in order to promote the publication of docu-
mentary sources in each country, that the ICA Executive Committee
establish a working committee to investigate ways and means of
adapting the most economical and rapid methods to the publication
of archival sources; it desires that this committee concern it-
self particularly with a study of the use of microfilm as a means
of publication.
7. The Congress expresses the wish that the Archives Committee of the
Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PIGH) and the ?
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Inter-American Technical Council on Archives (ITCA) be invited to
make an inquiry, by means of questionnaires,.into the conditions
under which historical documents are published in the countries of
Latin America, as a first step toward the formulation of national
publication programs. The questionnaires would be submitted to
the national archives of each Latin American country. The Congress
also expresses the wish that the International Council on Archives,
the Archives Committee of PIGH, and the ITCA concert their efforts
to obtain the assistance of UNESCO and of foundations interested
in the progress of scientific research, for the purpose of devel-
oping national documentary publication programs,, The order of pri-
ority would be predicated upon the economic situa ion in each coun-
try, upon the informational value of the sources, and upon'the risk
of their destruction.
8. The Congress, in view of the needs of the historical sciences, rec-
ommends the strengthening of microfilming programs by extending
them, if possible, to entire series or fonds. It desires that a
very considerable share be allotted to documents'elating to na-
tions whose history is dependent upon archival sources held in
other countries, The Congress believes that agreements concern
ing the exchange or the provision of microfilms should contain
clauses regulating their reproduction or their further transfer.
The Congress recommends that the ICA Executive Committee take the
initiative in making a study of the conditions under which films
may be preserved in tropical climates.
10. The Congress considers that the operating funds available to the
ICA are clearly inadequate. The growth of the Council's activi-
ties, the execution of the projects desired by the Congress, and
the implementation of the wishes and resolutions that it has a-
dopted, require increased financial means that would make possible,
especially, the establishment of a permanent secretariat. The
Congress considers that it is important to obtain, in the first
place, a substantial increase in the usual subvention granted to
the Council by UNESCO. Consequently, it requests that all of the
delegations present in Washington recommend to the national UNESCO
commissions of their respective .countries that they take forceful
action on behalf of ICA during the next General Conference of
UNESCO.
11. In addition to the projects referred to under points 6, 9, 10, 13,
14,,'land 18 of the present document, an increase in its funds (ei-
ther in subvention form or by means of contracts of various kinds)
would enable the International Council on Archives:
a) to resume publication of the International Archival Bibliog-
raphy suspended since 1960;
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b) to put into operation the Paris International Archival Docu-
mentation Center.
c). to reactivate the Committee on Terminology in order to com-
plete the vocabulary published in 1964 and to determine
equivalent terms in languages other tt7/han those originally
included(Pi7EGyutsa, Y, S/avjc a.,dSc4,$,ktavi4#t A,. uaff~0~ aA4 &Y((xw fe,' 3 Ir+
d) to establish a Liaison Committee of document re to"ration and
preservation technicians in order to facilitate the spread
of new techniques and the continuous exchange of experience
in this field.
e) to undertake the study of the problems of international law
in the archival field in accordance with the wishes of the
1961 Warsaw International Round Table Conference.
f) to establish regional branches of ICA in Southeast Asia, in
English-speaking African countries, and in French-speaking
African countries.
12. The Congress expresses the wish that a special item be added to
UNESCO's technical assistance budget for the purpose of helping
developing countries to organize their archives.
13. The Congress warmly approves the UNESCO idea of starting an ar-
chival pilot project in Africa, and assures the collaboration
of the ICA in carrying it out. In order that this program of
assistance may be as effective as possible, it believes that two
sub-regional projects should be provided.for: one based in Eng-
lish-speaking East Africa, and the other in French-speaking West
Africa.
It would also be useful to strengthen the operations of the UNESCO
mobile microfilm units and, eventually, in Africa, to incorporate
them into the sub-regional projects.
While awaiting the start of the sub-regional projects, it would
be appropriate to take immediate action to train qualified per-
sonnel for African archival institutions by making use of oppor-
tunities existing locally.
14. The Congress has taken note with satisfaction of the progress of
the work on the series of Guides to the Sources of the History of
Nations. It hopes that the national volumes constituting the Guide
to the Sources of Latin American History will soon appear, and ex-
presses the wish that countries holding relevant sources, which
until now have not participated in the project, would lend their
support to the Latin American Guide, as well as to the Guide to
the Sources of African History now in progress.
In addition, the Congress desires that there should be undertaken,
under the sponsorship of the International Council on Archives,
another series of guides 'devoted to sources preserved in Latin Amer-
ica, Africa, and Asia.
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15,. The Congress approves UNESCO's initiative looking toward the as-
UNESCO archival technical assistance missions. The international
roster will be transmitted to the responsible UNESCO department
as soon as it is drawn up, and supplemented by new candidates as
they are nominated.
sociation of the International Council on Archives with the vast
project of preparing a General History of Africa.
The Congress expresses the wish that the national members of the
International Council on Archives (central archival authorities
or comparable institutions, and national professional associations)
submit to the ICA secretariat within six months a list of candi-
dates -- for whose competence they can vouch -- to undertake
17. The Congress approves the plan to establish a permanent working
group, composed of representatives of concerned departments of
the UNESCO secretariat and of the International Council on Ar-
chives, whose principal function would be to investigate ways
and means of assisting archival institutions in developing coun-
tries, to oversee the implementation of.projects, and to coordin-
ate activities in this field.
Congress and that the Executive Committee submit to the 1968
General Assembly a report on the progress achieved between the
18. The Congress expresses the wish that a working group should be
created by the President of the ICA with the mission of contin-
uing the work started in Washington. It desires that the Inter-
national Round Table Conference should take special interest in
the application within Europe of the measures recommended by the
19. The Congress notes with satisfaction that its meeting took place
at a most appropriate time and that the exchanges of views there
have been particularly useful. It expresses its gratitude for
their generous hospitality to. the American colleagues' and insti-
tutions responsible for this meeting. It addresses its thanks
particularly to the United States Department of State which put
its Conference Room at the disposition of the delegates, to the
interpreters who provided a brilliant simultaneous translation of
the proceedings, and finally, to the National Archives of the
United States which organized in a perfect manner the working ses-
sions and the sojourn of the delegates in Washington.
20. The Congress requests the President of the International Council
on Archives to instruct the Secretary of the Council to prepare
messages of thanks to the following individuals and institu'rions:
a) To Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson who kindly received the members of
the Congress at the White House. '
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To Mr. Verner Clapp, President of the Council on Library
Resources, for the generous subvention which made possible
the convocation of the Congress and the presence in Wash-
ington of 55 national delegations.
c) To the Society of American Archivists, to the records man-
agement officers of United States Government agencies, and
to the Library of Congress which-have successively been the
hosts of the delegates during their stay in Washington.
d) To Messrs Kenneth Munden and Morris Rieger, whose excellent
work of preparation and organization enabled the Congress to
have productive discussions.
Washington, May 13, 1966
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