International Archives Day is annually celebrated on June 9th across the world to raise awareness of the importance of archives and promote the protection and free access to archives to make people understand the essentials to support archives and the profession. The day also marks the foundation day of the International Council on Archives (ICA), established in 1948. 9th June 2024 marks the observance of the 76th anniversary of ICA.
Theme
From Monday 3 to Sunday 9 June 2024, we will celebrate the sixth International Archives Week (#IAW2024).
This year’s theme is #CyberArchives.
Significance
The observance aims to remind the essential role of archives in supporting administrative accountability and transparency, protecting the rights of individuals and organisations, and forming part of the cultural heritage of society.
History
- In 2004, more than 2000 delegates from 116 nations passed a resolution at the 15th International Congress on Archives in Vienna, Austria, asking the UN to set aside a day to recognize the value and significance of archives.
- June 9, the date when the International Council of Archives (ICA) was founded in 1948 under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was declared International Archives Day during the 2007 ICA Annual General Meeting.
- June 9th, 2008 was the inaugural International Archive Day.
International Archives Week
- To raise awareness of the value and significance of archives, archivists, and international organizations, the ICA extended the 2019 International Archive Day celebration to a whole week.
- In 2019, the ICA expanded the International Archive Day event to an entire week to promote the value and importance of archives and archivists along with worldwide Organisations.
- 2024 marked the 6th International Archive Week (3-9 June 2024).
Objective
- To raise public awareness of the importance of records and archives.
- To raise awareness among senior decision-makers of the benefits of records management for good governance and development.
- To improve the public, private and public sectors’ understanding of the necessity of long-term archival preservation and access.
- To showcase the unique, extraordinary, and rare documents preserved in archival institutions.
- To advance the image of records and archives to enhance their visibility globally.