The International Council on Archives calls for greater action to protect the documentation of the world’s memory

Wien (OTS) - Vienna was both the physical and intellectual
backdrop for the 15th Congress of the International Council on
Archives (ICA). 2000 delegates from 116 countries joined together to
discuss how to preserve the world’s written history.

During the Congress the ICA hotly debated the destruction that
both man-made and natural disasters have wrought on the world’s
archival heritage. War, flood and looting are just some of the means
by which archives have been destroyed and with them the identity of
individuals and nations, the cultural life of communities and the
core elements of democratic accountability. So, at the Congress, the
ICA has taken measures to counteract these destructive forces
including urging governments that have not already done so to sign up
to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Heritage
in the Event of Armed Conflict. It has also urged the United Nations
and other international organizations to include protection of vital
records in their humanitarian and peace operations.

The computer is now a bedrock of modern life. Caring in the
long-term for the multiplicity of records produced by computer is an
enormous and complicated task. Can you find an email you sent 5 years
ago? Probably not. Just imagine the task of the archivist who has to
archive all the electronic records of a large organization. It’s a
vital but challenging task. But for some countries this task is made
even more difficult due to very restricted resources. At the
Congress the ICA called on governments at the next World Summit on
the Information Society to demand a reduction in access costs to the
Internet for less developed countries and to permit national archive
services to connect to the Internet, thus reducing the digital divide
between countries.

Destruction can also be self-conscious. Archives play a pivotal
role providing irrefutable evidence of human rights violations and
empower victims to bring perpetrators to justice. Archives are also
the memory of such violations so that the world can learn and
individuals can remember. Archives are fundamental to ensuring the
survival of truth, memory and justice. The archives of public bodies
and non-governmental organizations that document violations of human
rights can face serious threats to their survival, both through
intentional destruction and lack of resources and knowledge. ICA
called on the UN to take action to safeguard these archives, and thus
enable victims and societies to exercise their rights.

But ICA is not purely concerned with the threats to the world’s
documentary heritage. It also celebrates humankind’s success. Thus,
in this Olympic week it was fitting that ICA called on the Olympic
Committee to support ICA projects intended to safeguard and promote
archives of sport and of the Olympic movement.

ICA has had a very successful Conference in Vienna. It was
honoured to be addressed by the Federal President. Furthermore,
throughout the Congress highly respected speakers gave keynote
speeches including Hans Tuppy, the internationally renowned
biochemist, Ferdinand Lacina, the dynamic leader of the Austrian
League for Human Rights, Gerhard Roth, the prize-winning novelist and
Ivan Ivanji, concentration camp survivor and internationally renowned
journalist and author. All the delegates have greatly enjoyed
Austrian culture and hospitality and ICA looks forward to returning
to the historic city of Vienna in the future.

Notes for Editors

The International Council on Archives is the professional
organization for the world archival community, dedicated to promoting
the preservation, development and use of the world’s archival
heritage.

- It brings together national archive administrations, professional
associations of archivists, regional and local archives and
archives of other organizations as well as individual
archivists.
- ICA has some 1700 members in some 180 countries and territories,
making it truly international.
- It is a non-governmental organization, which means that it
maintains independence from the political process and that its
members include public and private archive institutions and
individuals.
- ICA works closely with inter-governmental organizations such as
UNESCO and the Council of Europe. It also has strong links with
other non-governmental organizations.

For further information about ICA resolutions visit the ICA
website at http://www.ica.org

Rückfragehinweis:
Contact:
Lorenz Mikoletzky
Österreichisches Staatsarchiv
Nottendorfergasse 2
A-1030 Wien
mailto:Lorenz.Mikoletzky@oesta.gv.at

Joan van Albada
Secretary General ICA
mailto:vanalbada@ica.org

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