Archives

Yes, access may be requested. Within the UN Geneva archives, you may identify records of interest that are less than 20 years old or that are classified, including records classified as Strictly Confidential.

Please note that the vast majority of UN Geneva archival holdings have not yet been fully described. As a result, detailed descriptions of these records are not available on the UN Archives Geneva platform. Researchers are therefore encouraged to contact us via the Ask an Archivist form below in order to consult specific finding aids or receive additional guidance.

Requests to access records less than 20 years old and/or classified records must be submitted as a formal written request to UN Archives Geneva. All such requests are reviewed on a case‑by‑case basis and require the written consent of the originating office.

As this process involves consultation and approval by the relevant Secretariat departments, researchers are advised to allow sufficient time for a decision, which may take between 6 and 9 months.

For practical guidance on requesting access to restricted records or records less than 20 years old, please contact us via the Ask an Archivist form below.