The Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry held a board meeting

On 31 October 2017 the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus held a board meeting.

The board members discussed two issues: “On work organization of the Expert-Methodical Commission (Expert-Inspection Commission) in state archives and archives and records divisions of regional justice departments in 2012-2016” and “On the creation of security archival copies for unique and most valuable records of the National Archival Holdings at the present stage”.

The expert-methodical and expert-inspection commissions in state archives and regional archives and records divisions purpose to improve records selection for permanent preservation in state archives, recordkeeping in state archives and other records-creating organizations, and facilitate organizational and procedural management and control over permanent central expert commissions and institutional expert commissions.

On the second issue it was noted that the creation of the security archival fond for copies of unique and most valuable records of the National Archival Holdings remains the most important and complicated area of activity at the state archival institutions at the present stage.

The security archival fond is being created with the purpose of preserving document information in case of its loss or damage and it makes an integral part of the National Archival Holdings. Security copying of paper documents is conducted in only one archival institution – the Central Laboratory for Microfilming and Restoration of Records of the National Archival Holdings. As on 1 January 2017 security copies were made for 71,41% of most valuable paper records of the National Archival Holdings. It was noted that Belarus currently has no production of specialized microfilming equipment and materials, and the creation of the security archival fond demands great financial expenses.