In June 2026, the global archival community will once again come together for International Archives Week (IAW): a moment to celebrate archives, reflect on their power, and reaffirm their essential role in society.
International Archives Week is a collective invitation: to open archives to the world, to tell their stories, and to demonstrate why archives matter, not only as repositories of the past, but as active forces shaping justice, memory and the future.
KEY INFORMATION
Dates
8-12 June 2026
Host
International Council on Archives
Shaping International Archives Week 2026
The theme for International Archives Week 2026 will be formally announced soon. The selection process was based on a global vote, which received 483 responses from ICA members and the wider archival community, and was subsequently presented by the Sub-Committee on Communications and Partnerships at the Executive Board meeting held in October 2025.
In the meantime, the Communications team will engage with ICA groups to develop the conceptual framework for the upcoming social media campaign. This work will focus on defining the key messages, identifying priority topics, and ensuring that the campaign reflects the diverse contexts and perspectives of the international archival community.
Further announcements about International Archives Week 2026, including participation opportunities, key moments and campaign resources, will be shared in the coming months.
About International Archives Week
International Archives Week builds on International Archives Day, celebrated each year on 9 June, commemorating the founding of the International Council on Archives in 1948 under the auspices of UNESCO.
Since expanding to a full week in 2019, IAW has become a global moment of visibility and advocacy. Archives and records professionals across continents take part by hosting events, sharing collections, engaging communities and speaking publicly about the value of archives in democracy, accountability, heritage and memory.
