International Council of Archives

Can you participate and contribute to ICA if you do not speak French or English?

The International Council on Archives is a worldwide organization with about 1,500 institutional and individual members in over 190 countries and territories. ICA provides a forum for professional discussion and has produced a wide range of important publications, most of which are still invaluable works of reference for practicing archivists today. It plays a key role in the development of major standards in the intellectual management of archives, enabling archivists to play a full part in emerging online information networks.

Focusing on international co-operation and solidarity as a means to promote archives and support professional development, the ICA strategic plan implicitly relies on the principle of cultural and linguistic diversity. One of the most important challenges for the organization is to develop communication between institutions and professionals belonging to the main language families while enabling them to preserve the richness of their traditions.

To achieve this purpose ICA is keen on developing a language policy in two main fields: governance and professional content.

Governance

ICA has no official language; however, it has got two working languages as mentioned in the Constitution (XII- art.76). Further working languages can be adopted by the General Assembly, but additional costs for maintaining a language must be provided by the members interested.

Governance documents are usually provided and published in French and English.

Professional content

ICA's ambition is to give access to and promote its standards, publications and professional information to the whole community using as many languages as possible; both in print and on the website.

ICA mainly relies on translation work from volunteers for providing its members with professional content in languages as varied as Russian, Catalan, Bahasa Malay, Polish, Japanese, etc. However a quality control system has been established so that the professional and/or scientific level of the publication provided in the original language is preserved in the translation.

ICA has set up a formal volunteering service for translations relying on an accurate selection to ensure the quality of the translation.

ICA supports the idea that volunteer translation is part of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and encourages its members -institutions, organizations, associations- to consider it as such, and to include it in formal CPD programmes. 

In some cases, translation is taken into account as a major component of a professional project, and the translation costs are part of the project plan. Here are some examples of major translations projects (ICA-Req translation projects: French and Spanish), involving not only translation competences, but a strong command of professional content.

Conferences and meetings

Providing languages services in conferences and meetings remains a key issue for ICA and the host country, often involving a high cost. French and English are usually provided for major ICA governance meetings and conferences plenary sessions, whilst colleagues are invited and strongly encouraged to express themselves in their own language in "ordinary" sessions. At International Congresses plenary sessions can be translated into French, English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic, but in most cases and when it is possible translation is paid for by interested language communities. To help colleagues to understand and make professional communication possible, ICA has created a "facilitators" network relying on volunteers.

ICA is reflecting on its language policy and practices, and is keen to make progress so that its professional products (standards, best practices, toolkits, etc.) are made available for the professional community as a whole while respecting cultural diversity.