Within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2023-2026 of the Iberarchivos programme, Objective No. 1 was established as contributing to the development of archival public policies from the documentary genesis, with the aim of guaranteeing the exercise of rights and promoting sustainable development. Within this framework, the Observatory of Public Archival Policies was created as a strategic tool to access a broader and more detailed overview of the state of archives in the region.

For its implementation, a working group was formed comprising representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and the Technical Unit of Iberarchivos, based in Spain. Its main mission was to design an action plan to define the requirements of the Observatory and its subsequent implementation.

As a first step, a survey was conducted among the National and State Archives of the 23 Iberarchivos member countries. Its objective was to identify the needs and expectations of the participating countries regarding the creation of this Observatory.