International Council of Archives

In 2011 ICA will decide which country should host the 18Th International Congress on Archives in 2016.

Held every four years, each Congress is a major landmark in the history and development of our organization. A well publicized Congress may be expected to attract between 1,500 and 3,000 delegates from at least 100 countries. The Congress is a large-scale financial and organizational undertaking, but the potential rewards are considerable. It provides the host country with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase its achievements in archives and its cultural life more generally. It should also lead to an increased interest in archives and ICA in the region concerned.

Participants will expect a professional programme that combines stimulating presentations on the strategic direction of the profession in the era of globalization, best practices in all the main areas of archival management, a lively forum for exchange and debate, and of course some hands on practical training. Distinguished key note speakers can add considerably to the prestige of the Congress, while well prepared professional visits and cultural excursions before or after the Congress can contribute immeasurably to the event’s overall success.

We are now seeking bids from countries keen to host the 2016 Congress. The governance bodies of ICA, the Executive Board and the Management Commission, wish to select a preferred candidate for the final approval of the AGM in October 2011.

Candidates are now invited to submit a bid in writing. Candidates should prepare a dossier covering the following issues:

• Clear and unequivocal support from the national Government at the highest level
• Support from international or regional organizations 
• Engagement of the administration in the city or area in which the Congress would be held
• Commitment of the National Archives or similar institutions to play a leading role
• Support from other archival institutions in the country
• Support from professional associations in the country
• Support from the relevant ICA regional branch
• Proof of a solid base for the financing the Congress
• Strong organizational structure and capacity to mobilize volunteers
• Track record of the country in archives management and recent achievements
• Outline prospectus of professional visits and cultural excursions
• Provisions for accompanying persons
• Innovative features that would be introduced into the Congress
• How the Congress would provide participants and ICA with good value for money

Informal enquiries about the compilation of the dossier may be addressed to David LEITCH, ICA Secretary General (leitch@ica.org). The final dossier should reach him in the ICA Secretariat, 60 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75003 PARIS, FRANCE, by midnight Sunday 10 April 2011 at the latest.