Report on the 16th International Congress on Archives at Kuala Lumpur
The 16th International Congress on Archives held at Kuala Lumpur
The 16th International Congress on Archives was held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Center from 21st to 26th July 2008 under the auspices of ICA, the National Archives of Malaysia and the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Malaysia, where around 1,200 participants from about 140 countries and territories came together including 40 attendants from Japanese archival community.
Attended at the opening ceremony of 22nd as a distinguished guest, Rt. Honourable Dato’ Seri Haji Mohd Shafie b. Haji Apdal, Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Malaysia beat a gong six times, cerebrating the 60th anniversary of ICA, and declared the opening of the Congress. From the afternoon of 22nd to the morning of 25th July, approximately 200 sessions and workshops were held concurrently at multiple rooms under the Congress’s theme “Archives, Governance, and Development: Mapping Future Society.”
National Archives of Japan held three sessions under the titles of “Cutting-edge of Archival Community in Japan”, “Development of e-Government and Digital Records Management” and “Crisis and Archives” and one workshop on Japanese paper conservation, in which many attendants joined. (See detailed program of the Japan sessions and a workshop.) In particular, the session on digital records management with invited speakers from China and Korea, which was held on the basis of the results of “the 8th General Meeting of EASTICA and Seminar” held last year in Tokyo,attracted more than one hundred participants and was admired by the ICA President Ian Wilson at the closing ceremony as one of the excellent results of the Congress. At the rest of two sessions, representatives of various Japanese archival institutions including national and local public archives, academic societies, universities, and corporations made presentations on variety of topics. Participants expressed that those presentations were very informative since there were only a few sources for Japanese archives and their activities.
The workshop on “Japanese Paper Conservation Technique” also gained popularity and over-enrolled 28 participants attended at the program. This was a joint program with a lecture by Professor Katsuhiko MASUDA, Showa Women’s University and a practical training session by conservators of the National Archives of Japan. Materials used for this workshop such as Japanese brushes, Japanese paper, glue and strings were sent by separate mail from Japan so that participants could experience Japanese traditional conservation techniques like Urauchi, a Japanese backing technique, and Yotsumetoji, a Japanese bookbinding method. Most attendants experienced the techniques for the first time and participated in the practical training with vigor and enthusiasm.
At the EASTICA booth in the exhibition space, archival activities of each EASTICA member country were introduced. National Archives of Japan exhibited poster panels on the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records as well as the digital archive system of the National Archives, and a poster of “International Archives Day” celebrated in Japan and picture panels on its commemorative lecture. We also distributed DVDs and leaflets on the profile of the National Archives of Japan. After the opening ceremony of 22nd July, the Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Malaysia visited the venue and watched the EASTICA booth.
On the Annual General Meeting held at the 25th July, board members were replaced and following new members were approved.
(Newly appointment)
President: Ian WILSON, Librarian and Archivist of Canada
Vice-President CITRA: Nolda ROMER-KENEPA, Director-General, National Archives of Netherland Antilles
Vice-President Programme: Lewis BELLARDO, Advisor, National Archives and Records Administration, USA
Vice-President Congress: Ross GIBBS, Director-General, National Archives of Australia, Congress Host 2012
Vice-President Associations:Christine MARTINEZ, Chair of Section for Records Management and Archival Professional Association, President, French Archivist Association
Vice-President Sections: Hans Eyvind NAESS, Chair of Section for Business and Labour Archives, National Archives of Norway
Vice-President Regional Branches: Setareki TALE, Chair of PARBICA, Director-General, National Archives of Fiji
Secretary General: David LEITCH, Former Deputy Secretary General of ICA
Deputy Secretary General: Didier GRANGE, Director, Archives of the City of Geneva, Former Vice-President of ICA
(Continuance in post/ re-appointment)
Vice-President Finance: Tomas LIDMAN, Director-General, National Archives of Sweden
Vice-President Marketing and Promotion: Abdullah A. Kareem EL REYES, Director-General, National Centre for Documentation and Research, United Arab Emirates
Internal Auditor:Karel VELLE, Director-General, National Archives of Belgium
At the ICA Annual General Meeting, "Strategic Direction:2008-2018" was adopted and also Audited Report 2007, Budget for 2009, and the Membership Fees 2009 were approved and determined.
At the Annual General Meeting, the status of fellow were conferred to the following four members as having given eminent service to ICA:
Lorenz MIKOLETZKY, Former President of ICA
Sidek JAMIL, Former Vice-President of ICA(Congress Host 2008)
Joan van Albata, Former Secretary General of ICA
The next 17th ICA Congress will be held at Brisbane, hosted by the National Archives of Australia, in August 2012.
Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage beating a gong at the opening ceremony
President KIKUCHI of the National Archives of Japan, welcoming Malaysian Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage( Left) at the EASTICA booth.
Dr. Yoneo ISHIIi, Director-General, Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, making a speech at Japan Session 1 ”Cutting-edge of Archival Community in Japan.”
Participants handling four-hole stitching (Yotsume-toji) at the workshop entitled” Japanese Paper Conservation Technique.”
Japan Session 2 “Development of e-Government and Digital Records Management” held on the basis of the results of EASTICA Tokyo Meeting 2007.
Professor Ito, Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo, making a speech at Japan Session 3 “Crisis and Archives”
The status of fellow was awarded to former ICA President Mikoletzky, former Vice-President Kikuchi of the National Archives of Japan, Former Vice-President Jamil, Former Secretary-General Albata
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