Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): ICS 118

Title: Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

Date(s): 1926 - 1995 [predominantly 1928-1981]

Level of description: Fond

Extent and medium of the unit of description: Over 360 individually numbered pieces; approx. 40 boxes or 0.47m³

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s): Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Imperial Communications Advisory Committee,
Commonwealth Communications Council Commonwealth Telecommunications Board,
CommonwealthTelecommunications Council Commonwealth Telecommunications Bureau

Administrative/Biographical history:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: The records of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation reflect the history of Commonwealth co-operation in the field of international telecommunications. The collection is arranged into five general classes:

• 1. Imperial Communications Advisory Committee, 1928-45
  
• 2. Commonwealth Communications Council, 1944-49
  
• 3. Commonwealth Telecommunications Board, 1949-69
  
• 4. Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Commonwealth Telecommunications Council (CTC), and Commonwealth Telecommunications Bureau, 1966-87
  
• 5. Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Commonwealth Telecommunications Bureau and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Council (CTC) after 1987

Each class represents the surviving records of the body that administered Commonwealth telecommunications relations during a particular period. Within each class, the material falls into three broad categories: the annual reports of the administrative body; the minutes, proceedings and memoranda of that body; the proceedings and minutes of committees and subcommittees appointed by the body. Most of this material is collected, by year, into bound volumes. In addition, the collection contains material (in files and bound volumes) that was not generated by the incumbent administrative body, but does relate to Commonwealth telecommunications during the lifetime of that institution and was presumably retained for use in the course of its activities or for reference purposes. Much of this material relates to the reports and proceedings of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Conferences under whose authority the administrative body derived its mandate. In each class, this material is listed under the heading General Documents.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

System of arrangement: The five classes are arranged and listed chronlogically. In the list, the title of each class gives the name of the administrative body, that body's acronym, and the period of its existence. Within each class, documents are arranged in series according to record type.

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: Open, subject to the usual conditions. Records less than ten years old will not be available for access without permission of the CTO.

Conditions governing reproduction: A photocopying service is available, at the discretion of the ICS Library staff. Copies are supplied solely for research or private study. Requests to publish, or quote from original material shoul dbe submitted to the Information Resources Manager.

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: A hard copy item level finding aid is available in ICS Library

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related units of description:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: February 2002

Interest: Caribbean, Black

Specific group:

Subjects

Telecommunications

Information technology

Communication technology

Political systems

Personal/Corporate names

Commonwealth Communications Council

Commonwealth Telecommunications Board

Commonwealth Telecommunications Bureau

Commonwealth Telecommunications Council

Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

Imperial Communications Advisory Committee

Places