President Clinton created the IWG, in January 1999, to coordinate the implementation the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act of 1998, a law requiring the U.S. Government to declassify and make available to the public records relating to Nazi war crimes. The group is chaired by Dr. Michael Kurtz, of the National Archives and Records Administration, and is composed of high-level agency officials and public members appointed by the President.

Last year, the IWG oversaw a U.S. Government effort to identify relevant records and to begin the process of declassifying and transferring pertinent records to the National Archives and Records Administration. Agencies were directed to identify bodies of records likely to contain pertinent information and then go through those records to specifically identify relevant files.

The IWG set up a website, at www.nara.gov/iwg, to notify the public of record openings and declassification; provide background on the IWG and its activities; maintain reference materials; and serve as a clearinghouse for sharing information.

To ensure that all relevant records are identified, the IWG is now making a broader request for information. Any relevant information about classified records and information about U.S. Government programs, organization, and operations should be sent to the Interagency Working Group Staff, National Archives at College Park, Room 2600, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 or to the IWG email address: iwg@arch2.nara.gov.