Joint statement on COVID-19 and the duty to document

During Information Awareness Month, we have joined with our interstate and international counterparts to emphasise the importance of documenting decisions, preserving records and providing access to information throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19: The duty to document does not cease in a crisis, it becomes more essential
Australian and New Zealand Information Access Commissioners join with their international counterparts in their clear call for documentation, preservation and access to information as governments, businesses and citizens deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The following statement has been released by the International Conference of Information Commissioners and aligned organisations to recognise and promote sound information management practices as part of Information Awareness Month. It calls for:

• Decisions to be documented
• Records and data to be secured and preserved in all sectors
• Security, preservation and access to digital content to be facilitated during the shutdown

We, the signatories of this statement, call on governments, businesses, and research institutions around the world to document their decisions and transactions now and for the future.

Building on the UNESCO communique ‘Turning the threat of COVID-19 into an opportunity for greater support to documentary heritage’ and reinforcing the call that decision-makers in the public and private sectors recognise the value of records management and archives.

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