Archivist Mary Carr represented the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) at the annual meetings of the European Union Diplomatic Archives Group (EUDiA), the network of directors of archives and archives professionals from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the European Union member states and the Archives Services of the Council of the European Union. This year's meetings were held in Nicosia, Cyprus, in June 2026 under the Cypriot Presidency.
EUDiA provides a forum for diplomatic archives professionals to address shared challenges in a collaborative and coordinated way, exchange experiences and expertise, and explore opportunities for cooperation on projects of common interest across European diplomatic archives.
"The annual EUDiA meeting was an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from other archival institutions about their best practices and how they are managing new innovations, such as artificial intelligence, in the handling and preservation of diplomatic records," said Mary Carr.
Against a backdrop of evolving cyber threats, rapid technological change and an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment, cybersecurity and digital preservation featured prominently in this year's discussions. These issues were explored in a presentation by the host archives entitled “Cyber threats and cyber defence in the management of diplomatic records and archives”.
Participants also examined national experiences of digital transformation, security requirements for classified information and diplomatic records, and approaches to preserving diplomatic memory.
Transparency, access and declassification formed another major theme of the meeting, with participants comparing national policies and discussing how to balance public access and transparency with the need to protect sensitive information.
The meeting concluded with a roundtable discussion on future cooperation and an exchange of views on current challenges and priorities. As part of these discussions, the HAEU and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed potential collaboration on an event marking the 70th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in 2027.