The Division of Archives, Library and Outreach valorizes ICRC heritage, past actions and thinking to inform current and future decision-making and promotes the ICRC’s present thinking, legal and policy positions internally and externally.
The ICRC’s archives form the memory of the organization and of individuals and their families affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence. They contribute to the development of knowledge and research on ICRC’s past actions and the development of international humanitarian law (IHL).
The General Archives Unit is responsible for acquiring and preserving archival records for long-term usability and access, supporting the ICRC’s knowledge management, business continuity, accountability, and transparency. The Unit works in close collaboration with the Library and Public Archives Unit responsible for ensuring public access to the library and public archives collections, their valorization and promotion internally and externally.
Together, both Units play a key role in the Safeguarding Archives programme, a major digital transformation initiative aiming to ensure that the ICRC’s knowledge – past and present – is preserved and accessible. It includes digitizing paper archives, archiving digital records, and using technology and artificial intelligence to make this information searchable and usable over the long term.
