International experts to discuss the importance of protecting the public record to ensure trust, transparency and reliability in public institutions and government at forthcoming seminar hosted by the National Archives

On June 24, the National Archives will host an international online seminar entitled ‘Protecting the public record: models of international best practice’. Speakers will include representatives from the National Archives and from the National Archives of Denmark, Scotland and New Zealand.

The seminar will cover a range of areas such as leading change in records management across government, the lifecycle of the public record including the shift towards digital preservation, data protection and GDPR. Each of the speakers will present from their own national and legislative context, specifically examining how this impacts on their ability to protect public records and information from the moment of creation.

Speaking in advance of the seminar, Minister Catherine Martin, TD, said ‘in an age of fake news and information manipulation, we recognise the integrity and authenticity of the archival record to provide trust, reliability and transparency in our public bodies and government departments. Institutions such as the National Archives with statutory responsibility to protect and make available the records of the state, are essential as a force of good, for research, for debate and for discovery’.

The seminar is specifically targeting government departments, agencies and local authorities as well as other national archives, archivists, records managers, certifying officers and representative bodies.

The speakers at the seminar include:

• Stephen Clarke, Chief Archivist, Archives New Zealand

• Dr Hugh Hagan, Head of Public Records Act Implementation, National Records of Scotland

• Helen Hewson, Keeper, National Archives

• Poul Olsen, Chief Counsellor and Data Protection Officer, Rigsarkivet (Danish National Archives)

Moderated by Orlaith McBride, Director, National Archives

Date and time: 9.30–12.30 IST, Thursday 24 June 2021

Places available via Eventbrite with further information on [external-link www.nationalarchives.ie | www.nationalarchives.ie ]