Sarawak has officially received the hosting rights for the International Council on Archives (ICA) Conference 2027, marking a proud milestone for Malaysia and a historic first for Sarawak as the host destination.
The official handover ceremony took place today in Barcelona, Spain, during the closing ceremony of the ICA Congress 2025, where The Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, formally received the hosting rights on behalf of Sarawak.
This marks the second time Malaysia has hosted an ICA event and the first time for Sarawak. ICA 2027 conference is set to highlight Sarawak’s commitment to heritage preservation, cultural diversity, and digital transformation, aligning with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“The Ministry of National Unity Malaysia is dedicated to integrating the conference into our national vision, ensuring the platform powerfully showcases Malaysia’s rich, diverse heritage and reinforces our cultural and historical connections with the international archival community. In Malaysia, the importance of preserving our heritage, our documents, our stories, our digital records is an act of national unity.” said Dato’ Haslina binti Abdul Hamid, Secretary General, Ministry of National Unity Malaysia.
The International Council on Archives (ICA) is the leading global organisation dedicated to advancing archival and records management. Every four years, the ICA Congress gathers thousands of professionals for a robust programme of workshops, sessions, and keynotes. In alternate years, ICA hosts its biennial conference focused on current challenges and innovations in archival science.
The International Council on Archives (ICA) is the leading global organisation dedicated to advancing archival and records management. Every four years, the ICA Congress gathers thousands of professionals for a robust programme of workshops, sessions, and keynotes. In alternate years, ICA hosts its biennial conference focused on current challenges and innovations in archival science.
ICA’s legacy is the safeguarding of humanity’s memory built on continuity, trust, and connection.
“ICA’s mission is about carrying legacies forward, and as the legacy capital of business events in Malaysia and Borneo, Sarawak is proud to carry the torch for 2027. We hope this conference will open new opportunities to develop more national and local collaborations on archives, so that the legacies we preserve today continue to inspire generations to come,” stated The Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak at the handover ceremony.
Malaysia’s successful bid to host the conference in Kuching, initiated in 2024, was the result of a strong multi-agency collaboration led by the Sarawak State Library and the National Archives of Malaysia, with the firm backing of both Federal and Sarawak Government agencies and universities:
- Office of the Premier of Sarawak
- Ministry of National Unity, Malaysia
- Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak
- Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak)
- Sarawak Tourism Board
- Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB)
- Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
- University of Technology Sarawak (UTS)
- Sabah State Archives
“We are proud of the strong teamwork between federal and state partners that made ICA 2027 possible in Sarawak. It’s a privilege to be part of ICA’s legacy, and we hope it will inspire national and local archive professionals to create enduring legacies for the community and country,” said Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak, who was also present at the handover.
The upcoming ICA Conference 2027 will be held from 1–5 November 2027 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) and expected to gather more than 1,000 delegates from around the world, including government agencies, archival institutions, associations, policymakers, and academic leaders.
The prestigious international event will be co-organised by the Sarawak State Library, the National Archives of Malaysia, and the International Council on Archives (ICA).