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Policy and Guidance

Records management is “the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records”. From the UN’s policy on Record-keeping and the management of United Nations archives, ST/SGB/2007/5.

 

Archival index cards on alleged war criminals at the United Nations Archives in New York, part of the UN War Crimes Commission Records (1943 - 1949). 

Secretary-General Bulletins

ST/SGB/2024/3 - Data protection and privacy policy for the Secretariat of the United Nations

ST/SGB/2007/5 - Record-keeping and the Management of United Nations Archives

ST/SGB/2007/6 - Information Sensitivity, Classification, and Handling

ST/SGB/2004/15 - Use of Information and Communication Technology Resources and Data

Standards

UN Records Retention Schedules

ARMS Standard on Record-keeping Requirements for Digitization

ARMS Naming Convention for Files and Folders

Information and Records Management in Field missions (SOP)

Managing Electronic Information and Records in Shared Drive

ICT Data Retention Schedule

Guidelines

What is Records Management?

Managing Records Day to Day

Declaring a Record

What is a record?

Guidelines for Retention Schedule

How do I know which records are valuable?

How do I know which records are vital?

How long do I keep records?

When and how can I destroy records?

How do I protect records from loss or damage?

How do I protect records in an emergency?

How do I assess the quality of my office's records system?

Information Sensitivity and Privacy

Information Sensitivity

How do I protect sensitive information?

How do I ensure records are secure?

UN Principles on Personal Data Protection and Privacy

Guidelines for Sharing United Nations Information with External Parties

OICT Guideline for Information Media Sanitization

Records Transfer and Storage

Transferring Records and Archives to the Archives and Records Management Section (ARMS)

DOS/ARMS SOP on Field Entity Closure: Paper and Digital Records and Archives

Guidelines for Records Storage Facilities

International Standards

ISO standard 15489 Information and documentation -- Records management -- Part 1: General

ISO standard 16175 - Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments

ISO standard 13028 - Implementation Guidelines for Digitization of Records

ISDIAH, International Standard for Describing Institutions with Archival Holdings, Committee of Best Practices and Standards, First edition, 2008

ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, Committee on Descriptive Standards, Second Edition, 2000