The International Council on Archives (ICA) Congress Abu Dhabi 2023 was officially opened today at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) under the patronage His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
This year’s edition of the Congress, which is held under the theme “Enriching Knowledge Societies,” brings together experts and specialists in the field of archives, as well as thought leaders from around the world, to explore the transformative capabilities of providing information and access to it in modern societies.
The Congress focuses on five themes, i.e., “Peace and Tolerance”; “Emerging Technologies: Electronic Records, Electronic Solutions”; “Sustainable Knowledge, Sustainable Planet: Archives, Records and Climate Change”; “Trust and Evidence”; and “Access and Memories.”
Addressing the event, Former French President François Hollande said, “It is with great pleasure that I agreed to participate in the Congress of the International Council on Archives. Your organisation, headquartered in France, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. I salute its president Josée Kirps, and the authorities of the United Arab Emirates who have made great efforts to welcome us in the best conditions with the full support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed who made this Congress a unique success.”
He added, “This is the first time that an ICA Congress has been held in the Middle East. This shows the importance of the event and the acceleration of conservation techniques in all regions of the world.”
“Developed countries have long understood the importance of this responsibility. Emerging countries must be supported so that their history and their present can contribute to the knowledge of our societies.This is what the UAE understood, which at the same time as it achieved exceptional economic development, established, thanks to Sheikh Zayed, a documentation and research center in 1968 which became, in 2000, the National Archives Center for forge the History of the Nation,” he continued.
Other countries, he continued, “followed and thanks to your organisation, coordination to define standards and conservation rules allowed an increase in the general level of information processed. But you faced another challenge, that of conserving and preserving all the sources of information generated by audiovisual, digital and other media. This requires elaborate selection systems and new storage locations. I measure what these expenses represent for the archive centers. The risk, if we neglect these new resources, is that traces and evidence of our lifestyles, but also of our cultural productions, such as decision-making mechanisms, will be lost. The other risk is leaving ample room for disinformation, manipulation and conspiracy in the exploitation of our heritage.”
He added: “Artificial intelligence, which can also make our jobs easier, is another threat. It can be based on reliable and verified data or, on the contrary, use truncated information due to failure to have been correctly sorted and scrupulously preserved.I imagine that your Congress will have to consider new standards on these subjects, to ensure the validity of what is communicated to the public. Because the more we broaden access to guarantee transparency and knowledge, the more we must build a reliable and rigorous archive system.”
He concluded by saluting the initiative to create a “working group on climate change in order to control digital flows, identify vulnerabilities, help those most affected by global warming and promote understanding of phenomena. This is your contribution to the success of COP28. I therefore hope that your Congress will make it possible, in these tormented times, to show that there are places and forces working for the common good, for the transmission of our heritage, for the elevation of our knowledge, for transparency and the circulation of information, for the progress of knowledge and the sharing of knowledge. I hope that your discussions here in Abu Dhabi can advance intercultural dialogue and modestly contribute to confidence in public institutions and the defense of human rights. I renew my compliments to Sheikh Mansour and the National Library and Archives of the Emirates for the welcome they have given to this conference which, beyond the conservation of memory through archives, calls for action to preserve the future of humanity.”
For her part, Josée Kirps, President, International Council on Archives, Director of Luxembourg National Archives, said that “ICA Congress Abu Dhabi provides a rare and valuable opportunity to engage dialogue with professional delegates and visitors from around the world. It will also be a big chance to establish direct contacts with key players in the Middle East at a time of great interest in the fields of archival collection management, digital recordkeeping and public programming for education and the public.”
She thanked Hamad Al Midfa, for his steadfast commitment to the successful achievement of this event. “Under your direction and leadership the National Library and Archives has done a remarkable job within the ICA. The Congress was initially planned for 2020, but as we are all aware suffered a major setback due to the global impact of COVID. Thanks to your unwavering commitment, planning continued through these difficult times – keeping the ship on course during the pandemic and we are here, today, because of the determination and the great work done by our teams. On a personal note, I would like to express my joy to have closely collaborated with Dr Abdulla Alraisi and his implementation team to make the congress an unforgettable event, showing the values of hospitality and diversity shared by the United Arab Emirates and the ICA .Since our inaugural session in 1950, the ICA Congress is recognized worldwide as the most important forum for professionals, institutions and industries involved in records, archives and information management.”
She added: “The collaboration with our partners from the National Library and Archives and the authorities of the hosting city Abu Dhabi has been an outstanding experience. We have always been welcomed with open arms in an atmosphere of tolerance and friendship.
“This year’s Congress features over 300 presentations in a variety of formats: Workshops, panels, papers, posters and lightning talks. The themes touch on important topics such as climate change, emerging technologies, peace and tolerance.”
For his part, Dr. Abdullah Al Raisi, Cultural Adviser at the UAE Presidential Court, Chairman of the Higher Organisation Committee of the ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023, said, “We are pleased to witness the opening of the ICA Congress Abu Dhabi, which is hosted by the United Arab Emirates as part of its firm commitment to preserving cultural and human heritage, and enhancing the role of the archival sector in documenting information and facilitating access to it. The holding of this event for the first time in the region in the United Arab Emirates reflects the growth of the country’s position on the international knowledge and cultural map, and the leading role it’s playing in consolidating international cooperation, employing modern innovations and scientific practices to drive the wheel of sustainable transformation in various sectors, and providing platforms for exchanging visions and sharing experiences on ways to develop the archival sector.”