The Public Interest Declassification Board (“the PIDB”) is an advisory committee established by Congress in 2000, 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.
Although an independent committee outside of government, the PIDB’s work directly impacts policy development at the highest levels of the executive branch related to transparency and open government. It advises the President and other executive branch officials on policies deriving from Presidential Executive orders regarding the classification and declassification of national security information. The PIDB also advises the President and other executive branch officials on the identification, collection, review for declassification and release of declassified records and materials of archival value. In this regard, the PIDB’s mission directly supports that of the National Archives: to make access happen.
The presentation will include remarks from PIDB members and emeritus members on the history of the PIDB and its activities, insights into the PIDB’s recommendations to the President and a discussion of the substantial impact of the recommendations on policy development in the Executive Office of the President. Members will also share information about the current study the PIDB is undertaking concerning technological modernization of the classification and declassification system for long-term sustainability.