n. (abbr. ICA)a nongovernmental organization of archival institutions and individuals that advocates for the preservation of and access to archives around the worldDaniels 1987, 416The inaugural meeting of the International Congress on Archives took place from 9–11 June 1948 at Unesco House in Paris, with archivists representing the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Mexico, Norway, and the United States participating.Jimerson 2009, 109Following the Second World War, SAA supported establishment of the International Council on Archives (ICA) and an archives for the newly formed United Nations.Schaefer and Bunde 2013, 37The International Council on Archives (ICA), a nongovernmental organization that works to promote the preservation and use of archives across the globe, has developed several standards relating to the description of archival materials, including the General International Standard Archival Description, or ISAD(G).Gueguen et al. 2013, 568Understanding of archival description has continued to evolve since ICA formally embraced standards development as part of its mission in 1989.Montgomery 2015, 311The ICA has a long-standing association with UNESCO, which offers the best way forward in advocating for revising the Hague regime to recognize that captured enemy records and archives comprise both the cultural and essential heritage of the country of origin and part of the world’s collective historical memory.ICA 2021The mission of the International Council on Archives (ICA) is to promote the preservation and use of archives around the world. In pursuing this mission, ICA works for the protection and enhancement of the memory of the world and to improve communication while respecting cultural diversity.
Notes
The International Council on Archives was created in 1948 under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The first assembly of the International Council of Archives was held in 1950, resulting in Archivum, its first official journal. The International Council on Archives now publishes Comma, International Journal on Archives through the University of Liverpool as well as issuing conference papers and providing guidance like the Universal Declaration on Archives. With more than 1,900 members in 199 countries and territories, ICA organizes an international congress every four years and holds an annual conference in the intervening years. ICA’s Fund for the International Development of Archives provides assistance to archive professionals and institutions working in especially challenging conditions, usually in developing countries.
