Der Internationale Archivrat ICA hat sich nach dem verheerenden Erdbeben auf Haiti an die haitianische Regierung und die Hilfsorganisationen gewandt, um auf die Notwendigkeit der Bergung von Personenstands- und anderen Dokumenten hinzuweisen. Für den Wiederaufbau des Landes sei es von elementarer Bedeutung, neben den Menschenleben nun auch das Archiv- und Verwaltungsschriftgut zu retten. Nur auf diesem Wege könne die Arbeitsfähigkeit der Behörden wiederhergestellt werden. Auch sei für die Klärung von Rechten, Ansprüchen sowie Identitäten nötig, die Menschen wieder in den Besitz ihrer Unterlagen zu bringen.
Am 27. Januar 2010 veröffentlichte der ICA folgende Erklärung
"Second ICA statement on Haiti – Reconstruction
Reconstruction rather than Destruction
The International Council on Archives is following very closely the progress of relief operations underway in Port-au-Prince (Haiti). As the rubble is gradually cleared away, the information we receive can only encourage us to alert the international community on the need to take measures to ensure the sustainable reconstruction of Haiti. The safeguarding of the so-called vital records is fundamental. Whether records from the registrar\’s office or other documents enabling citizens to prove their identity or their rights, or other records of strategic importance produced and still preserved in the ministries, all these records must be subject to special protection. They are the basis for a rapid resumption of political and administrative activity.
These documents are preserved partly by the National Archives and partly under the rubble of destroyed public buildings. There are currently two problems in Port-au-Prince and other cities affected by the earthquake:
- The increase in theft and deliberate destruction of documents: destroyed sites are not subject to adequate protection, including at night.
- Clearing the ruins of strategic buildings: such operations are conducted without taking into account the documents or objects that could be preserved.
The International Council on Archives reminds the Haitian government and all partners providing military aid and civil protection in Haiti that these records need to be preserved. The aim is that the Haitian government should quickly resume its operations on solid administrative foundations, including the use of information contained in the records, as well as preserving a culture that should be transmitted to future generations."
Bereits am 14. Januar 2010 meldete sich der ICA erstmals mit einer Solidaritätserklärung zu Wort:
"ICA Statement about the situation in Haïti
It is with great emotion that the International Council on Archives has learned about the earthquake which hit Haiti on Tuesday, 12th January 2010. Through the Council, the whole archival community expresses its deepest sympathy to the victims of this disaster and their relatives.
We are following the course of events very closely and, together with our colleagues in the international network of Blue Shield, we are collecting the necessary information, which will enable us to provide effective help as quickly as possible. We are organizing ourselves to provide assistance at the appropriate time. The immediate priorities are of a completely different kind and scale, namely to find the missing and to rescue the injured and homeless.
If you have any information about the situation and needs on site for the archives, could you please contact Christophe Jacobs, project officer at the ICA Secretariat responsible for the Emergency Management Programme (jacobs@ica.org).
Please consult our website regularly in order to keep up to date with the situation on the spot. You can also follow the actions of the Blue Shield through the Facebook group "Haiti Solidarity 2010 Blue Shield" and this Twitter thread # blueshieldcoop."
Links: