Guidelines for collecting, using digital archival materials, and destroying expired digital archival materials in Vietnam from July 1, 2025

Guidelines for Collecting, Using Digital Archival Materials, and Destroying Expired Digital Archival Materials from July 1, 2025 (Image from the Internet)

Law on Archives 2024 was passed by the 15th National Assembly, 7th session on June 21, 2024.

Guidelines for collecting, using digital archival materials, and destroying expired digital archival materials in Vietnam from July 1, 2025

According to the provisions of Article 36 Law on Archives 2024, the collection, preservation, use of digital archival materials, and destruction of expired digital archival materials in Vietnam are stipulated as follows:

- Digital archival materials shall be collected following processes, standards, data structures of files, and submitted materials, checked for validation, and transmitted securely in an electronic environment.

In cases where files have paper documents, these paper documents must be digitized; the collection shall comply with the provisions of Articles 17, 18, and 19 Law on Archives 2024.

- The preservation of digital archival materials is regulated as follows:

+ Digital archival materials must meet standards and data structures of files and digital archival materials; ensure integrity, consistency, authenticity, safety, and accessibility; and be preserved and used according to specialized professional methods;

+ Digital archival materials must be stored safely, ensuring the integrity of content and format, ensuring long-term authenticity, accessibility, and adaptability with technological changes, meeting legal requirements on network information safety;

+ The primary data retention period for digital archival materials is the same as the retention period for digital archival materials;

+ Digital archival materials are preserved in digital archives by unit of file or document.

- The use of digital archival materials is regulated as follows:

+ Digital archival materials are used through forms such as reading, issuing copies, providing information from digital archival materials, and archival databases;

+ Digital archival materials are used through versions for users. User versions are converted in format, adjusted in structure and display methods based on management requirements and user access needs, ensuring the content is like the original.

- The destruction of expired digital archival materials is regulated as follows:

+ Digital archival materials are expired when they no longer have any link to other digital archival materials with a longer retention period within the same system;

+ When destroying expired digital archival materials, the entire primary data of those materials and digitized paper documents (if any) must be destroyed simultaneously.

- Based on the provisions of Law on Archives 2024, the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of Public Security, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Hanoi, Vietnam) stipulate the principles of collecting, preserving, using, and destroying digital archival materials of the defense, police, and foreign affairs sectors.

- The Minister of National Defense takes the lead, in cooperation with relevant ministries, in developing, issuing standards, regulations, and implementing solutions on security and authentication in archival professional activities of Communist Party of Vietnam, State agencies under the state management in cryptography, and specialized digital signatures for public duties.

More details can be found in Law on Archives 2024, which comes into force in Vietnam from July 1, 2025.

Law on Archives 2011 ceases to be effective in Vietnam from the effective date of Law on Archives 2024, except as provided in points a, b, c, and d clause 1, clause 5, and clause 6 of Article 65 Law on Archives 2024.

Vo Tan Dai

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