Accessibility and information security in the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of the need for public policies for Document Management in the Rio de Janeiro (RJ) coastal lowland cities

Abstract

The issue of access to public information in Brazil is a recurring theme in extensive debates and the promotion of archival public policies. This issue has become more evident and important in the current circumstances of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the information produced by public administrations has become of extreme public interest, for the promotion of research, policies, and governmental and also personal decision-making. However, there is a growing distrust of information released about the pandemic, debates about the authenticity of public information, and demands from truly transparent governments. In this context, the debates on the lack of applicability of the Law of Archives and the Law of Information Access are renewed, especially in municipal administrations. It will then be sought here to understand how access to information is essential to guarantee democratic principles and to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also be discussed how the implementation of a Document Management Program is fundamental for active transparency and how the Rio de Janeiro State coastal lowland cities are in the context of archival public policies.