Archives for a better world

In celebration of International Archives Day in 2023, this display of archival documents illustrates some of UNESCO’s major work in the field of archival development for a better world. Archives have an enduring impact and importance for society and are invested with both real and symbolic power. Their potential to help generate new knowledge and ideas, to reveal truths and histories, and to act as evidence of human activities and societies makes them sources of endless value and generative possibility. UNESCO has always recognized the power of archives and their importance for building a better world, as evidenced by its programmes for archival development, including archival capacity-building on national and local levels, addressing the impact of new technologies on archives, and programmes for the creation and dissemination of information.

UNESCO’s work supporting countries and communities to safeguard documentary heritage is complemented by the preservation and dissemination of its own documentary heritage. The UNESCO Archives service was established in 1947 in its Paris headquarters to collect and preserve evidence of UNESCO’s activities, programmes, and decisions since 1945, and those of its predecessor bodies since 1925, in diverse formats. The following documents provide only a sample of the documentary evidence and treasures that may be found and accessed by UNESCO staff, Member States, and researchers in the UNESCO Archives.