Last Friday marked the completion of the rolling review and release of the final records still publicly withheld from the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection. The Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) acknowledges the importance of the completion of the rolling release of these records, but we must note with disappointment failure of the responsible … Continue reading Completion of the JFK Records Rolling Release
NARA’s 2018-2022 Draft Strategic Plan
All Federal agencies are required to produce a strategic document every four years. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) invites public and government partners, stakeholders, and colleagues in the archival, historical, and records management communities to submit comments on NARA’s draft 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. The Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) encourages its stakeholders to submit … Continue reading NARA’s 2018-2022 Draft Strategic Plan
Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi Announces Appointment of John F. Tierney to the PIDB
On July 11, 2017, the House of Representatives Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi announced the appointment of John F. Tierney to serve a three-year term as a member of the Public Interest Declassification Board. The members of the PIDB look forward to working with Mr. Tierney as they continue their efforts to improve declassification and modernize … Continue reading Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi Announces Appointment of John F. Tierney to the PIDB
State Department Releases Historically Significant Records on Human Rights Abuses in Argentina
Yesterday, President Trump presented Argentine President Mauricio Macri with a CD containing approximately 3,300 pages of records relating to human rights abuses committed in Argentina between 1975 and 1984. The documents are part of a comprehensive interagency project by 14 Government departments and agencies to search their archives and identify and review for public access … Continue reading State Department Releases Historically Significant Records on Human Rights Abuses in Argentina
The Importance of Sunshine Week
This week is Sunshine Week, an annual initiative that seeks to educate the public about the importance of openness in government. Each year during mid-March, organizations dedicated to advocating for a more open government hold events around the nation to discuss the various ways we can hold our government accountable to the people by limiting … Continue reading The Importance of Sunshine Week
Join Us at the “Free Speech Legacies: The Pentagon Papers Revisited” Symposium February 16-17, 2017
Please join PIDB member Sanford Ungar at the "Free Speech Legacies: The Pentagon Papers Revisited" symposium on February 16-17, 2017 at Georgetown University. The event is free and you can register at tinyurl.com/freespeechlegacies. Mr. Ungar orchestrated the symposium, which will feature a variety of distinguished panelists, including Floyd Abrams, Martin Baron, David Cole, David Sanger, … Continue reading Join Us at the “Free Speech Legacies: The Pentagon Papers Revisited” Symposium February 16-17, 2017
What We Heard and Learned at the Public Meeting
On December 8, 2016, the PIDB held a public meeting to hear and discuss recommendations for improved transparency and open government for the new Presidential Administration. The meeting was an opportunity to also solicit ideas for revising Executive Order 13526, “Classified National Security Information” from our internal and external government stakeholders, including leaders of civil society. … Continue reading What We Heard and Learned at the Public Meeting
Prioritization of Presidential Library Records: The Argentina Declassification Project Releases Records Online
Yesterday, the White House announced the declassification and release of records related to human rights abuses committed under Argentina’s 1976-1983 dictatorship. The President committed to prioritizing the declassification of these records in March 2016, including the release for the first time of records from U.S. intelligence, law enforcement, and defense agencies. You can view the … Continue reading Prioritization of Presidential Library Records: The Argentina Declassification Project Releases Records Online
12/8 Public Meeting Preview: Comments from Civil Society Participants
In anticipation of our public meeting this Thursday, December 8, 2016, we have asked our Civil Society participants to share comments and recommendations in the form of white papers. You will find white paper submissions from Patrice McDermott at OpenTheGovernment.org, Nate Jones from the National Security Archive, Elizabeth Goitein from The Brennan Center for Justice, … Continue reading 12/8 Public Meeting Preview: Comments from Civil Society Participants
“There’s classified, and then there’s classified:” Tangible Steps to Fix the Classification and Declassification System by Nate Jones, National Security Archive
For the Public Interest Declassification Board: The former head of the Information Security Oversight Office, responsible for oversight of the US classification system, has acknowledged that classification officials joke that “you could easily classify the ham sandwich.”[1] Barack Obama has summarized the tension between the public’s right to know and the necessity for the government … Continue reading “There’s classified, and then there’s classified:” Tangible Steps to Fix the Classification and Declassification System by Nate Jones, National Security Archive