Dr. Abdullah Al Raisi, Cultural Adviser at the UAE Presidential Court and Chairman of the Higher Organisation committee of the 19th International Council on Archives Congress (ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023), said that the congress is a key platform for bolstering international cooperation and spotlighting the importance of collaborations in archiving and documentation.
Dr. Al Raisi told the Emirates News Agency that, in the long term, access to credible information plays a pivotal role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), which is what drives competent entities to ensure easy and continuous access to information and knowledge and facilitate its use in all fields, from research to policy-making.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court from 9th to 13th October, ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2023 will enable institutions working in the field to exchange expertise and knowledge, he added.
He explained that the congress, organised by the National Archive and Library, will bring together over 5,000 participants from 135 countries, in addition to featuring 60 exhibitors, adding that UAE’s hosting of this global event testifies to its role in supporting the world’s heritage and cultures and its active contributions globally.
Themed “Enriching Knowledge Societies”, the event’s agenda is set to highlight the potential to transform data access systems and streamline such access shrinking data delivery times, Al Raisi added, highlighting the focusing on five subthemes; “Trust and Evidence”; “Emerging Technology: Electronic Records, Electronic Solutions”; “Access and Memories; ”Sustainable Knowledge, Sustainable Planet: Archives, Records, and Climate Change”; and “Peace and Tolerance”.
He went on to say that archives can serve as invaluable educational tools for youth and future generations, by providing access to tales about tolerance, further boosting consciousness of the importance of peace and coexistence.
About emerging tech solutions, Dr. Al Raisi noted that the future of the sector will inevitably rely on e-documentation, thus necessitating upgrades of the current system to meet such developments, while ensuring such digital records and archives are well-secured and sustainable.