The first annual ICA conference began on Saturday, 23rd of November, at the Square in Brussels, in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

David Leitch invites people to take a seat in the Copper Hall
Karel Velle, director for the National Archives of Belgium, officially opened the ceremony. Philippe Courard underscored how relevant the theme of the conference was in light of the recent international spy scandals. As the Secretary of State for Scientific and Social affairs, he is particularly keen on the question of private life and privacy. He reminds us that archivists and records managers must be there to manage information – and that one of their missions, in parallel with other professions, is to reassure citizens in transparency and accountability of this information.
Karel Velle specifies that few colleagues can really stay informed on the latest news and ideas in the archival domain, due to the demands of their day to work. For this reason, the annual conference is of major importance! Many ask themselves what the future of archival work will look like, and are convinced that archival services have a very important role to play in the arena of accountability and accessibility.
Martin Berendse, President of ICA, notes that Belgium has not held this sort of event in 103 years! The first International Congress for Librarians and Archivists took place in 1910 in Brussels. More than 500 participants are in attendance, from more than 100 countries. After explaining the importance of this conference for archivists around the world, Martin Berendse notes that our audience is not just the citizens of today, but the citizens of tomorrow too.
After the presentation of Margaret Crockett, who shared with all participants some practical information related to the conference, the microphone was given to the first speaker.

Margaret Crockett
Andrea Ruprechter was unable to attend, so Anne Thurston, Director of IRMT, opened the keynote speeches. She emphasizes the importance of our profession to attain governmental objectives: We are the guardians of the necessary proof required for transparency, responsibility and openness; We hold the key to preservation and accessibility of archives and information
Willem Debeuckelaere, President of the Belgian Commission for Privacy, explains the importance of access to archives, notably in the area related to scientific research. Despite the difficult relationship between the protection of personal data and the archives, it is essential to establish an open dialogue and cooperation between the two. The archives are a treasure of democracy!
Alison North, Director of ARMA International, was the last speaker of this enthusiastic opening ceremony. She notes the principles inherent for all archivists: Integrity, Protection, Compliance, Availability, Retention and Accountability.
Accountability means that everyone is responsible for their actions and decisions. Everyone is responsible for the delivery of accurate, complete and open information –When no one is accountable, the consequences can be deadly.

Martin Berendse, Anne Thurston, William Debeuckelaere, Alison North
Like Anne Thurston and Willem Debeuckelaere, Alison North emphasized that archivists and records managers are not currently recognized and we must join forces in order to be heard and give value to our profession!
Céline Fernandez, ICA volunteer