International Archives Day is celebrated to recognise and acknowledge the role of the archives and archivists in our societies and in our communities.
This was lauded by the Assistant Minister for Information, Hon. Aliki Bia, as he delivered his opening remarks at International Archives Week with the theme "Archives are Accessible, Archives for Everyone”.
“This day helps raise awareness about the importance of records, archives, and their preservation and to promote the value of records management for good governance and development,” he said.
“The National Archives of Fiji has a legal mandate to make archives accessible to the community, reaching out to remote and rural areas through various activities,” he added.
“Here in Fiji, our archives are more than repositories of documents – they are guardians of our identity, stewards of our culture, and evidence of our democratic journey.”
“From handwritten colonial records to digital video footage of our modern history, these collections hold the voices, memories, and truths of our people — o ira na lewe iViti,” Assistant Minister Aliki Bia added.
He emphasised that accessible archives must serve all people — urban and rural, students and researchers, elders and youths, indigenous communities, and persons with disabilities.
“As we roll out the Fiji National Development Plan 2025–2029, the National Archives of Fiji’s role is highlighted in Pillar 3 under Good Governance, and where Focus Area 7 captures the goal of developing a modern, high-performing civil service that is responsive to government priorities and efficient service delivery,” he highlighted.
“Government focus is on its policy of ensuring modern systems for service delivery and a planned strategy of strengthening the capacity of the National Archives Centre and to support digital archiving to preserve Fiji’s documentary heritage,” he added.
“We must hasten the digitisation exercise of archives so students in the outer islands can access the same materials as those in Suva or Lautoka; we must ensure that archival policies promote transparency and open access across government and provide training and resources to our archivists and information professionals so they can preserve records in modern and inclusive ways; and also promote the use of archives in research, curriculum development, creative industries, and public education so they remain relevant to every Fijian.”
“In the spirit of partnership, I call on all universities and cultural agencies to continue integrating archival literacy and community-based history projects into their programmes, and I call on government agencies to work with the National Archives of Fiji to make more of our records open and accessible,” the Assistant Minister added.