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| International Congress on Archives | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Congress on Archives |
| Formation | 1948 |
| Type | International conference |
| Purpose | Promotion of archival science, records management and preservation |
| Location | Various international venues |
International Congress on Archives
The International Congress on Archives is a recurring global conference associated with the archival community, convening archivists, librarians, conservators, historians, policymakers and cultural heritage professionals from institutions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, European Union, African Union and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to address records, preservation, access, and cultural memory. The Congress gathers representatives from bodies including the National Archives and Records Administration, The National Archives (UK), Bibliothèque nationale de France, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and the Vatican Apostolic Archive alongside university departments like Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Toronto, Sorbonne University and Australian National University to exchange practice and policy. Delegates commonly include professionals from institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, British Library, Library of Congress, Archives nationales (France) and organizations like the International Council on Archives, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, International Council of Museums, Council of Europe and World Bank.
The Congress emerged after World War II in the context of reconstruction and international cooperation involving actors such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Committee of the Red Cross, League of Nations successor institutions, and national bodies like Archivio di Stato di Firenze, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, National Archives of India and Biblioteca Nacional de España. Early meetings attracted figures linked to Clement Attlee, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Konrad Adenauer era institutions and institutions established under postwar treaties like the Treaty of Rome. Subsequent decades saw engagement with archival responses to crises involving Yugoslav Wars, Rwandan Genocide, Syrian Civil War and topics addressed in forums including Nuremberg Trials, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa), International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Influences include scholarship from Fernand Braudel, practice tied to Paul Otlet concepts, and initiatives linked to bodies like Council on Library and Information Resources and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards.
Governance typically involves collaboration among international institutions such as the International Council on Archives, regional bodies like the European Board of National Archivists, national agencies including the National Archives of Australia, Library and Archives Canada, Arquivo Nacional do Brasil and professional associations such as the Society of American Archivists, Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland), Archivists Association of China, Australian Society of Archivists and Association of Canadian Archivists. Steering committees have included representatives from UNESCO, United Nations Development Programme, Council of Europe, African Union Commission and foundations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. Legal and ethical frameworks referenced include conventions such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property and instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and regional charters such as the European Convention on Human Rights.
Congress meetings and regional sessions have been held in cities with major archival institutions: Paris, London, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Geneva, Seoul, Tokyo, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Montreal, Sydney, Athens and Istanbul. Sessions often interact with programs from UNESCO World Heritage Centre, International Telecommunication Union events, World Digital Library initiatives and academies such as École des Chartes, UCL Institute of Archaeology and German Historical Institute. Themes frequently align with international agendas advanced by Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 21, Universal Periodic Review processes and policy frameworks from institutions like the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.
Programs emerging from Congress deliberations include standards and projects with partners such as International Organization for Standardization, Society of American Archivists, Digital Preservation Coalition, Open Society Foundations, Creative Commons, Internet Archive and academic consortia like the HathiTrust. Initiatives address digital preservation, linked data, metadata standards including Dublin Core, MARC 21, EAD (Encoded Archival Description), and protocols like OAI-PMH. Collaborative projects have linked to Europeana, Digital Public Library of America, Memorial de la Shoah partnerships and disaster response models seen in responses to Hurricane Katrina, 2010 Haiti earthquake and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
Participants include national archives (e.g., National Archives of Norway, Archives Nationales d'Haïti), university archives (e.g., Bodleian Library, Bancroft Library), municipal repositories such as New York City Municipal Archives, religious archives including Vatican Secret Archives associates, and NGOs like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Center for Transitional Justice. Funding and sponsorship have come from organizations such as the European Commission, USAID, World Bank Group, UNDP and philanthropic entities like Carnegie Corporation.
Awards associated with Congress-era recognition include honors paralleled by institutions like the Prince Claus Fund, Polar Music Prize analogues, and professional citations from the International Council on Archives and national bodies such as National Archives and Records Administration awards, Royal Historical Society medals and Order of the British Empire style recognitions. Laureates have included influential archivists, historians and conservators connected to universities like University of Cambridge, Yale University, Columbia University and institutions such as the British Library.
Outcomes influence national legislation and policies referenced to instruments like the Freedom of Information Act (United States), Data Protection Directive (EU), archival laws in countries including France, Germany, Japan and Brazil, and practice in institutions including National Archives of the United Kingdom, Public Record Office Victoria and the National Diet Library (Japan). The Congress has shaped discourse on provenance, appraisal, access, digital continuity and cultural heritage in collaboration with projects run by World Intellectual Property Organization, UNESCO Memory of the World Register, Digital Preservation Coalition and regional archives networks such as Pacific Manuscripts Bureau.
Category:Archival conferences