2.3  Archival history  The World Bank adopted a central filing system in 1946.  One of the four parts of the central file was “Operational Files” which contained records relating to the management of Bank operations in a region plus separate files for operations in each country.  In 1972, the “Operational Files”  were removed from the central file and separate filing centers for each region were established under the general control of the central files unit.  The regional file centers were discontinued in 1998 and the regional and country files were transferred to the archives. All records-keeping since 1998 is the responsibility of the regional office.  During the period of the central filing system, many offices also kept separate working files.  These files are included in this fonds.

3.1  Scope and content  The principal source of the records of the Latin America and Caribbean region are the central (operational) files created from 1952 onward.  These files, along with other files created and maintained at various administrative levels in the regional office, reflect the Bank’s participation in the economic and financial development of the region and cover a broad range of topics including tourism, trade agreements, population issues, and cooperative projects.

3.3  Accruals   Accruals are expected.

3.4  Arrangement  The records are arranged in the following series:
    
                                Operational Correspondence, Latin America, 1947-1971, 11.66 linear feet 

                                Operational Correspondence, Central America, 1948-1971, 5 linear feet

                                Bank News Releases relating to the Latin America and Caribbean Region, 
                                1950-1990, 2 linear feet

                                Operational Correspondence, Caribbean, 1952-1971, 1.25 linear feet

                                General Country Files, 1972-1986, 38.75 linear feet       

                                Index to Official Records of the Meetings of the Caribbean Group 
                                for Cooperation in Economic Development, 1977-1991, 0.25 linear feet 
 
                               Official Records of the Meetings of the Caribbean Group for Cooperation in
                               Economic Development, 1977-1991, 23.75 linear feet   
    
                               Senior Financial Management Specialist Files, 1985-1991, 9 linear feet
    
In addition, 52 sub-fonds, each containing the records of a single office, include series that have at least some records dating before 1987.
        
4.1 Conditions of access  Records are subject to the World Bank Policy on the Disclosure of Information.

4.2 Conditions of reproduction  Records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

4.3 Language/scripts  English; some Spanish

4.5   Finding aids  Annotated list of organizational units with series that include files predating 1987.

5.3  Related units of description WB IBRD/IDA 01, Country Operational Files, 1946-1998; WB IBRD/IDA 43, Records of Individual Staff Members, Pedro-Pablo Kuczynski; WB IBRD/IDA 58, Donated Materials Collection, A.D. Spottswood; WB IBRD/IDA 63, Personal Papers of Orvis A. Schmidt;  WB IBRD/IDA 70, Records of the Brazil Country Office; WB IBRD/IDA 71, Records of the Colombia Country Office; WB IBRD/IDA 75, Records of the Bolivia Country Office; WB IBRD/IDA 76, Records of the Haiti Country Office
 
7.2 Rules or conventions     Internal World Bank Group Archives rules 
7.3 Date(s) of descriptions   2004-06-22