Sarawak has officially received the hosting rights for the 2027 International Council on Archives (ICA) Conference, marking a historic first for the Malaysian state and a significant milestone for the nation’s growing global events profile. The announcement was made in Barcelona, Spain, on 31 October 2025, during the closing ceremony of the ICA Congress 2025, where The Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, accepted the official handover.
The 2027 conference will be held from 1–5 November 2027 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) and is expected to attract more than 1,000 delegates from around the world. Participants will include government agencies, archival institutions, associations, policymakers, and academic leaders. The event will be co-organised by the Sarawak State Library, the National Archives of Malaysia, and the International Council on Archives.
From Barcelona to Borneo: A New Chapter for ICA
This will be the first time Sarawak hosts the prestigious international conference and the second time Malaysia has welcomed an ICA event. The official handover ceremony symbolised Barcelona’s passing of the torch to Kuching, positioning Sarawak as a new hub for archival collaboration and cultural exchange in Southeast Asia.
“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,” said Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. “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.”
Malaysia’s successful bid to host the event in Kuching began in 2024 and was driven by a multi-agency partnership led by the Sarawak State Library and the National Archives of Malaysia, with strong support from federal and state bodies. Key partners included the Office of the Premier of Sarawak, Ministry of National Unity, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the Sarawak Tourism Board, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), and local universities such as UiTM Sarawak Branch, UNIMAS, and UTS.
Promoting Heritage, Unity and Digital Transformation
The upcoming conference will highlight Sarawak’s commitment to heritage preservation, cultural diversity, and digital transformation — themes that align with Malaysia’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. The event will provide a platform for experts and policymakers to discuss global archival practices and the role of digital technology in preserving cultural records.
“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,” said Dato’ Haslina binti Abdul Hamid, Secretary General, Ministry of National Unity Malaysia. “In Malaysia, the importance of preserving our heritage, our documents, our stories, our digital records is an act of national unity.”
Amelia Roziman, CEO of Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), also highlighted the significance of the collaboration. “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,” she said.
The International Council on Archives, established to promote the preservation and accessibility of the world’s documentary heritage, hosts its global congress every four years and its biennial conferences in alternate years. The 2027 edition in Sarawak will continue ICA’s legacy of advancing professional exchange, trust, and knowledge among the global archival community.
By bringing the event to Kuching, Sarawak aims to strengthen Malaysia’s position in the international business events sector while promoting Borneo as a destination for knowledge exchange and cultural tourism. The ICA Conference 2027 is expected to generate long-term benefits for Malaysia’s archival sector and tourism economy, reinforcing the state’s reputation as a destination for both cultural heritage and global collaboration.
