About us
Proposal for Formation of SWARBICA background history
The decision to set up a Regional Branch of the International Council on
Archives covering the countries in South West
Asia (SWARBICA) emanated at a meeting of the Executive Committee of
the, International Council on Archives held at Brussels in 1973.
The countries envisaged in the region
were, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka. Dr. S. N. Prasad Director of Archives, National Archives of India, and
then a member of the Executive Committee of the International Council on
Archives, was authorized to explore the possibility of setting up of such
regional organization. The move initiated by him in the same year, was welcomed
by the Government of India and received ready response from three more
countries, viz.,
The Department of Culture in the Ministry of Education, Social Welfare and
Culture of the Government of India agreed to bear all the expenses of the
inaugural function of SWARBICA, including air fares and boarding and lodging
expenses of the nominees of the participating countries, and also expenses of
the representatives of the International Council on Archives during their stay
at New Delhi. A three-day programme, commencing from 10th December 1976,
was arranged for the occasion. Invitations were extended to each country in the
region to depute one archivist and one historian to attend the functions. India
being the host country was to be represented by two archivist, and two
historians. Also invited were, Dr. James B. Rhoads, President of the
International Council on Archives, Mr. Charles Kecskemeti, and Executive
Secretary of the Internationa1 Council on Archives and Dr. Morris Rieger,
Chairman of the Committee on Archival Development (CAD).
On the 10th December 1976 the delegates from the participating countries met
informally at Vigyan Bhawan to finalise the draft
Constitution of
SWARBCA. The meeting was chaired by Dr. S.N. Prasad. The draft, which was
circulated earlier, was modified in the light of the comments received and the
discussions that followed in the meeting. Several organizational matters,
including working of SWARBICA, location of its Secretariat, its
membership dues, and formation of the Executive Board, were also discussed and a
consensus was arrived at.
SWARBICA
formally came into existence on the 11th December 1976 in
a ceremonial function organised at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.(from: SWARBICA news Bulletin, No. 1,
South and West Asian Regional Branch of The International Council on Archives,
New Delhi, 1977,pp.1-3).
