International Law Blog Postings

World-renowned archivist Trudy Huskamp Peterson is on a campaign for the preservation of and access to records of the temporary international criminal courts. She spoke in Washington, D.C. on 31 March 2006 at the American Society of International Law, during its centennial meeting, and again on 15 June 2006 at a private lunch. She addressed the legal, political, and archival issues influencing the retention of historical documents generated by temporary commissions and courts, which, by mandate, were designed to go out of existence. Because the mandates are generally silent on the retention and preservation of records, the United Nations and individual governments lack clarity on who gets to retain long-term official custody of data archives. Should the United Nations establish and maintain a global institutional repository for archives of temporary commissions and courts? Alternately, should domestic archival, property, or intellectual property laws govern? Who gets to decide what, when, where, and how to store records, and under what authority? Continue Reading