The annual conference of “The European Network of Official Authorities in Charge of the Secret-Police Files”: “Common vision-synergizing actions”.

3-5 October 2024

1. Participants in the Conference

Guests of Honor:

His Excellency, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Albania, Mr. Carl Bergner;

Mrs. Klotilda Bushka, Head of the Legislative Issues and Human Rights’ Commission in the Albania Parliament.

The network partners

1. Gergő Bendegúz Cseh- ABTL, Hungary
2. Madalin Vasile Hodor, CNSAS, Rumania
3. Catalin-Boris Precul, CNSAS, Rumania
4. Marzena Kruk, IPN Poland
5. Boris Mihaylov, COMDOS Bulgaria
6. Alexandra Titze, German Federal Archives
7. Tadej Cankar, Slovenia
8. Toivo Jullinen, RA, Estonia
9. Jerguš Sivoš, UPN, Slovakia
10. Peter Mikle, UPN Slovakia
11. Svitlana Starovoit, УІНП, Ukraine
12. Tetiana Prys, Ukraine

2. Conference Presentations:

ALBANIA:

1. Creation of the archive of Former Secret State Files in Albania. Challenges encountered, the relevant adopted legislative framework, collaboration with the other public institutions to further enrich the archive fund.
2. Digitization of archival documents. Presentation of the Digital Archive Software.

NETWORK PARTNER PRESENTATIONS

3. Common statements

1. The annual conference meeting was very useful and productive but not sufficient enough to meet the goals and mission of this network.
2. Although the exchange of expertise/know how is in the interest of all the partners, the concrete actions to materialize it, have been sporadic and are not considered enough. it has come out that
3. It has come out that enlargement of the network will make it more productive and more synergy based: agencies from other countries to be invited. We kindly ask all Network members and associates to inform potential new partners about our activities.
4. The common challenge of almost all the partners remains the Digitization of the Archives’ documents and in the short term perspective, finding and implementing innovative approaches in making the work more visible, more effective and extending the outreach should and will be a priority of our common work.
5. The partners expressed their appreciation for the attendance of the conference by two representatives from the Ukrainian Archive of Ex Secret Police. It was also unanimously expressed the solidarity with for what the Ukrainian people and the staff of secret police files are actually experiencing.
6. The network partners are of the opinion that in addition to the will to work and cooperate jointly, there should be established a periodicity relevant to the reporting and agree on scheduling a minimum of actions for the network progress. 

4. Some of the tasks/issues as agreed in the Resolution of the previous Conference have not been addressed yet or are still in process:

• Common network website is operational but it must be periodically furnished with materials for publication.

Recommendable:

1. As Poland has the leadership in the administration of the web page and this year it will also be handed over the presidency of the network, we suggest that all the partners within a reasonable agreed deadline must select and send what they consider as relevant for an integral view of their legal/regulatory and operational context, rules and regulations, restrictions, statistics that must be interesting for the partners and a broader public to know. For this purpose, the representative of Slovak partner will draw up to be then shared among all the network partners to be filled in.

• The experts’ lists have been completed and not become effective yet in terms of establishing real contacts for consulting on specific issues of concern or interest. The experts’ lists will be available only for registered  users (“Internal” section at https://securityarchives.eu/sbs/panel )

Recommendable:

The initiatives of Germany, Poland and Hungary, as the most distinguished active partners, must be replicated by the other partners of the network.

We encourage all network members and partners to promote the network's activities on their websites and social media with a link to our website https://securityarchives.eu/

• Establishment of a common archive terms and definitions’ vocabulary- not all the network partners have published the glossaries of their respective agencies. Albanian agency reported that has drafted a Glossary of 189 terms and definitions relevant to the ex-sigurimi.  The draft will be published soon after the approval of the Board.

Recommendable:

We are planning to publish online The Glossary of a Common Archive Terms on the network website securityarchives.eu

• Invitations to other homologue agencies for membership.

Recommendable:

1. Since, in the conclusions of the conference it was unanimously agreed that ‘Enlargement of the network will make it more productive and more synergy based, other agencies from other countries to be invited in full compliance with membership criteria. Countries like Moldova, Georgia or Former Yugoslavia can be invited during the network meetings, in order to gradually make them partners within the network.

• New levels of collaboration to be created by organizing internships and /or exchange of employees on special issues. Right after the Annual Conference of Berlin, the Authority for information on ex-sigurimi files in collaboration with the STASI archives, arranged a mini-internship for a team of 7 persons and focused on topics like: Index cards- Kartotheque, de-codification process, Media Library, Digital Archive. For this year, the Albanian agency is planning to realize a study visit at IPN, Poland, with the main focus on work to search and identify the missing persons.

The representative of the German Federal Archive reported about a research project for the search of archive documents of Stasi foreign espionage in the archives of Central and Eastern countries, with several trips to Warsaw, Sofia and Prague and resulting in identification of over 2,800 documents in the partner archives.

Recommendable:

• Each partner agency should incorporate in the annual working plan at least one visit for the purpose of getting the best from each other’s experiences and achievements. Additionally, each of the network members must offer whatever contribution in supporting this initiative, in terms of costs, even by offering in-kind contribution (experts, etc.);
• The exchange between the archives of the network agencies should be further expanded, following the example of Federal Archives with Poland, Bulgaria and Czech Republic.

• Further intensify networking by using digital or hybrid formats to come together and develop network together.

Recommendable:

At least one more joint activity of the network must be organized. To be agreed on a time term for each partner to propose a theme which they think of relevance and common interest for most of our agencies and who is willing to take the leadership in the preparation process. This activity may serve also as a possibility for an interim reporting on the status/progress of tasks or projects and obstacles/issues that needs addressing before the Annual Network Conference.

Organization of a network meeting focused mostly on issues relevant to archives and digitization of files. To be agreed for the scheduling of the activity, but it could be end of May or June 2025, if necessary to be preceded by a preparatory/coordinating online meeting in the end of 2024 or early 2025. Other proposals to be sent to the Polish colleagues.

The Network's website (News tab) will feature posts of main current, past and planned initiatives.

• IPN Archive is planning to organize an international conference on the archives of the former communist services in June 2025 (probably in Warsaw). Details will be announced later.
• The annual conference of the Network members is planned for Autumn 2025 in Warsaw.