UAE to host International Council on Archives' Congress 2020
( Adds President's name to 3rd paragraph) ABU DHABI, 7th September, 2016 (WAM) – The International Council on Archives (ICA) has chosen Abu Dhabi as the next destination for its quadrennial congress, ICA Congress 2020.
The decision was made during the ICA International Congress 2016, which began on 5th September and will conclude on 10th September in Seoul, South Korea.
The UAE invited the international body to host the event as per the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The effort is being followed up by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the UAE's National Archives, the local sponsor of this meeting.
The ICA was established in 1948, and provides countries around the world with expert advice and guidelines on managing critical records and preserving memorable events that contribute to national histories and witnessing of the past.
The quadrennial congress of the ICA is an opportunity for archivists around the world to meet and discuss how to adapt record keeping to modern technologies and to enhance the role of ICA in connecting the past with the future.
Under the theme of this year’s event, "Archives, Harmony and Friendship", the National Archives of the UAE showcased its work in the presentation of two major papers, "UAE ‘The Memory of the Nation’ – Achieving its Potential" and "UAE National Archives: Smart Solutions in Action".
The first paper reviewed the efforts of the National Archives to engage the UAE’s citizens in recording their family life and daily events and in integrating historical documents into life-long learning, while the second paper highlighted innovations in developing interactive, mobile cross-platform software for facilitating and encouraging public access to its programmes.
The decision of the General Assembly to host the ICA Congress 2020 in Abu Dhabi received a warm welcome from Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Board Member of the National Archives and Chairman of the Executive Committee, and by Majid Sultan Al-Muhairi, Executive Director of the National Archives.
They expressed gratitude for selecting the UAE as the future host of the congress and emphasised that the event will benefit as well from the innovations to be revealed at Expo 2020, to be hosted in Dubai.
They also greeted the leaders of the UAE for extending unlimited support for archiving, the cultural movement and efforts to preserve national heritage.
Speaking on behalf of Dr. Abdulla Al Raisi, Director-General of the UAE National Archives, they invited all the ICA members in Seoul to participate in the Congress 2020, the National Archives of the UAE said in a press release.
Complementing the expertise of more than 2000 members that will join the ICA Congress 2020 in Abu Dhabi, archivists from across the globe will have an opportunity to capitalise on the myriad technological advancements and innovations in the government, business and cultural sectors that will be unveiled at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.
ICA President and Director-General of the National Archives of Australia David Fricker expressed his appreciation at the UAE’s invitation to organise and host the Congress 2020, while acknowledging that thousands of archivists around the world will join this event, prepared to learn about Arab culture and to experience the legendary hospitality of the UAE.
© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2016.
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