South and West Asian Regional Branch – SWARBICA

South and West Asian Regional Branch

To further the aims of ICA and to strengthen co-operation within South and West Asia. SWARBICA is responsible for carrying out the policy and programmes of ICA in this region, where these are relevant to SWARBICA members.

SWARBICA operates under the Constitution of the South and West Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SWARBICA) adopted at the branch’s inaugural conference, New Delhi, 1976 (published in Swarbica Journal, vol. 1 no. 1, 1978).

The aims and objects of SWARBICA according to Constitution of SWARBICA are:

  • To establish, maintain and strengthen relations between archivists of all countries in the region; and between all institutions, professional bodies and organisations which are concerned with the custody, organisation, admini­stration or utilisation of archives, whether in public or private possession;
  • To promote all measures for the preservation, protection and defence against all manners of hazards of the archival heritage of the region, and to further the progress of all aspects of the administration and conservation of these archives;
  • To promote and co-ordmate the efforts by the countries in the region with a view to completing the national archival heritage by appropriate methods;
  • To provide increasing facilities to the accredited scholars to use the archives of the region;
  • To promote, organise and co-ordinate activities in the maintenance, utilisa­tion and conservation of archives in the region;
  • To sponsor professional training of archivists in the region;
  • To co-operate with other organisations or institutions concerned with the use of that documentation for the benefit of mankind;
  • To organise seminars, symposia and other meetings, on specific themes of mutual interest to the member countries in the region;
  • To obtain international assistance for archival development of the countries in the region; and
  • To generally follow the aims and objectives of the International Council on Archives.