Access to Archives

ACCESS TO ARCHIVES

REGULATIONS ON THE USE OF DOCUMENTS OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVAL FOND OF UKRAINE (2003)

Archival Legislation of Ukraine:
Law of Ukraine On the National Archival Fond and Archival Institutions (2001); Regulations for the Use of Documents of the National Archival Fond of Ukraine (2003) / State Committee on Archives of Ukraine. - Kyiv, 2003. - 38 pp.

UDC 930.25(477)(094.5)

ISBN 966-8225-04-X

Publication was prepared and published with the assistance of
The Ukrainian Studies Fund Inc.,
New York

LAW OF UKRAINE ON THE NATIONAL ARCHIVAL FOND AND ARCHIVAL INSTITUTIONS

Section I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section II

NATIONAL ARCHIVAL FOND AND ITS FORMATION

Section III

OWNERSHIP FOR DOCUMENTS OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVAL FOND

Section IV

RECORD KEEPING AND PRESERVATION OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVAL FOND

Section V

USE OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVAL FOND

Section VI

SYSTEM OF ARCHIVAL INSTITUTIONS

Section VII

FINANCIAL, MATERIAL AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT OF ARCHIVAL INSTITUTIONS

Section VIII

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN ARCHIVAL AFFAIRS

Section IX

RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIOLATION OF LEGISLATION ON NATIONAL ARCHIVAL FOND AND ARCHIVAL INSTITUTIONS

Section X

FINAL PROVISIONS

Second extended edition

Archival Legislation of Ukraine: 1991-2003 /
State Committee on Archives of Ukraine. - Kyiv, 2004. - 152 pp.

UDC 930.25(477)(094.5)

ISBN 966-8225-07-4

File in a pdf format - 1 143 Kb

Publication was prepared and published with the assistance
of The Ukrainian Studies Fund Inc.,
New York

Foreword

Restoration of state independence of Ukraine in 1991 and the dynamic transformational processes in its social-political and economic life sufficiently influenced development of archival affairs. Namely, one of the most acute problems was the legal regulation of new social relations in the archival sphere, creation of a normative-legal base, which would correspond to the realities of that time and the resolution of questions concerning assignees of national archival-documentary heritage. New normative-legal acts in this sphere should correspond to the general legislation system of Ukraine, international legal norms and provide opportunities for the reformation and development of archival affairs.

One of the important needs of society was to learn the truth about the past and, correspondingly, make available a great mass of of archival documents, previously almost inaccessible or hidden completely.

The society considered as a first important step on this way transfer, according to the decree of the Presidium of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of August 27, 1991, of documents from archives of Communist party of Ukraine to subordination of Main archival administration under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

This act ceased parallel functioning of two archival fonds - state and Communist party, founded massive declassifying of archival documents, and contributed to strengthening of the resource base of state archives.

The second edition of the collection "Archival legislation of Ukraine" (the first one contained only two legal acts and was published last year) contains texts of 17 laws and other normative-legal acts, which formulate principles of public policy in the sphere of archival affairs and record keeping, translated into English.

Of course, not all acts of archival legislation of Ukraine are included; some of them are published only partially. The criterion for selection of texts for translation was the endeavor to give the most complete idea about main legal norms for access to archival documents and archival information in Ukraine.

"Access to public archives is a right. In a political system which respects democratic values, this right should apply to all users regardless of their nationality, status or function", - building a democratic, social, and legal state is one of the most important priorities for Euro-integration policy, legislators, governors and archivists of Ukraine as they try to adopt this recommendation of the European Council Ministers Committee in national legislation and incorporate it in day-to-day activities.

Vice-Prime-Minister of Ukraine Dmytro TABACHNYK