2015 Press Releases

Public Interest Declassification Board to Host an Open Meeting at the National Archives on June 25, 2015
Press Release · Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Washington, DC

WHAT:

The Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) will host a public meeting to discuss its recommendation that the President should encourage collaboration and determine how to employ existing technologies and develop and pilot new methods to modernize classification and declassification. The PIDB's 2012 Report to the President on Transforming the Security Classification System included this recommendation and the PIDB will expand on this in a supplemental report in the coming year.

In his Second Open Government National Action Plan, the President directed the Classification Reform Committee to work with Executive branch agencies to pilot technological tools to analyze classified Presidential Records.

The June 25 meeting will feature, the Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero with opening remarks, and Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer Alex Macgillivray from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy discussing technology initiatives of the Administration that relate to Open Government and information access. Dr. Cheryl Martin, Director and Research Scientist from the Center for Content Understanding at the Applied Research Laboratory will present the results of technology pilot projects conducted in collaboration with the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Archives. PIDB members will discuss the technology study the PIDB began in support of the Classification Reform Committee and its plans for providing new recommendations to the President focused on improving technology in support of declassification across government.

WHO:

Speakers will include:

WHEN:

Thursday, June 25, 2015, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:

National Archives and Records Administration
Room 105 – Archivist's Reception Room
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20408

This meeting is open to the public. However, due to space limitations and access procedures, we require individuals planning to attend the meeting to register on Eventbrite.

Attendees must enter through the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance. Please note we require one form of Government-issued photo identification (e.g. driver's license) to gain admittance. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations please contact the Ellen Knight, PIDB staff, at 202-357-5342 or ellen.knight@nara.gov.

Background

The Public Interest Declassification Board is an advisory committee established by Congress in order to promote the fullest possible public access to a thorough, accurate, and reliable documentary record of significant U.S. national security decisions and activities. The Board completed its Report to the President on Transforming the National Security Classification System in 2012 in response to the President's request for assistance in identifying potential solutions for classification and declassification challenges in the digital age and producing a vision for a new system. The Board has nine members, five appointed by the President and four by the Congressional leadership. Current Presidential appointees include Laura DeBonis, William Leary, Ambassador Nancy Soderberg and Solomon Watson, IV. The Majority Leader of the Senate appointed Sanford Ungar and the Minority Leader of the Senate appointed Kenneth L. Wainstein. For more information see: www.archives.gov/declassification/pidb.

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