Historians without Borders in Finland cautions that a significant extension of secrecy periods in Finland’s Act on the Openness of Government Activities could weaken the foundations of historical research, an open society, and research-based public debate.
The association has submitted a statement on the Finnish government’s legislative proposal (VN/36541/2024), which would extend secrecy periods for documents related to national security and foreign policy to up to 40–60 years. Historians without Borders does not dispute the legitimate need for security authorities to protect sensitive information, but argues that the proposal fails to adequately assess the consequences for historical research, academic freedom, and democratic public discussion.
According to the association, the issue is not only about archives but about society’s institutional memory and the possibility of critically evaluating political decision-making after the fact. Extremely long secrecy periods could delay research on key historical developments for generations and increase the risk that public debate becomes shaped by rumours, undocumented narratives, and politically one-sided interpretations of history rather than research-based knowledge.
Historians without Borders emphasizes that openness, critical scholarship, and the possibility of retrospectively evaluating political decisions are not in opposition to security. On the contrary, they form an essential part of democratic resilience, institutional trust, and society’s long-term ability to respond to crises.