The Southeast Asia Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SARBICA) is the first Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives. SARBICA was established on 9 July 1968 at an inaugural conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1968. Its purpose was to promote collaboration among the nations in the region in the administration, preservation, conservation and use of archives.
The idea of establishing the ICA branch, particularly SARBICA started at the ICA General Conference in Brussels in August 1964. The Conference resolved to explore all possibilities of establishing regional branches of ICA outside Europe to enable members to participate more effectively in activities of the parent body and also to have programmes of their own to suit their particular requirements. Being a member of ICA, the National Archives of Malaysia was invited to take the initiative in this region to have closer co-operation with her neighbours. Consultations with ASA and later by ASEAN countries were then set in motion. The response was encouraging, and at the same time UNESCO which had been collaborating for years with the Malaysian government, responded favourably by offering financial grant to help launch the proposed organisation.
