Archival Legislation in Macao - Scope

Decree-Law no 63/94/M

of 19 of December

Article 17

(Historical Archives)

1. The Historical Archives is managed by a director under the bylaws Portarias no 183/89/M, of 31 of October, and 165/93/M, of 31 of May.

2. The Historical Archives has the following duties:

a) Contribute to define the Territory’s archival policy;

b) Deal with documental nucleus or bases;

c) Promote the classification of archival items;

d) Promote the incorporation of archival bases, either in a definitive capacity or as a deposit;

e) Propose the application of legal measures necessary to safeguard archival items, already classified or submitted to classification;

f) Propose to the Territory’s administration the use of right of preference when dealing with documental items of historical interest, even if not yet classified;

g) Propose an administrative embargo when any archival item might be at risk;

h) Issue appraisals upon demand on the conservation periods in archive and on the elimination proposals of documents retained by the Administration departments, personalized public services, town councils and also by public companies and collective persons of public interest;

i) Collect documentation with historical value owned by the entities referred in subparagraph h);

j) Identify, locate and propose the acquisition of manuscript or bibliographical ancient sources from Libraries and Archives, in the Territory and elsewhere, namely for the structuration of data bases;

l) Develop guides, inventories, catalogues and indexes of documental sources historically relevant to the Territory;

m) Organize and diffuse, in microfilm or magnetic supports, collections of documents extant in the Archives of Portugal and of other countries, already collected by the Historical Archives, through outlines, inventories, catalogues and indexes;

n) Promote the publication and exchange of the Archives Bulletin.