Closing Address: Mr. Wang Gang

Closing Address by Mr. Wang Gang

President of ICA and EASTICA

EASTICA Workshop on Archives Descriptive Standards

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Archival Colleagues,

The EASTICA Workshop on Archives Descriptive Standards has successfully fulfilled its goals and … Over the past 5 days of workshop, our two resource persons, Mr. Hugo Stibbe from the National Archives of Canada and Mrs. Guo Siping of the State Archives Bureau of China, first delivered us respectively lectures entitled “The International Council on Archives Standards for Archival Description” and “Archival Descriptive Standards in China: Understanding and Practice”. Participants from different countries and territories also introduced and shared their own practices and experience in the area of archives descriptive standards. Discussions and exchanges were stimulated and carried out around the topic. It is believed that all of us have benefited a lot from these.

During the workshop, our host thoughtfully and kindly provide us with an opportunity to visit the new building of the Hong Kong Public Records Office and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology which left us a very deep impression. We were also offered a sightseeing tour of Hong Kong and spent a rich, fruitful and enjoyable time.

Just as Mr. Charles Kerskemeti, the Secretary General of the International Council on Archives pointed out in his opening address at the Second General EASTICA Conference held in Macau, 1995, “with the fast economic development in East Asian area, the production of archival records is increasing dramatically creating great challenges to our archivist.” Under this circumstances, I think, besides, promoting professional communications and conducting various kinds of academic seminars and workshops, EASTICA should also encourage its members to be actively engaged in archival promotion and out-reach activities, and by this way to enhance the decision-makers’ recognition of the important role of archival work in the social, economic and cultural development so as to get necessary supports from government, and at the same time improve the public awareness of archives.

The Fourth Executive Board Meeting of the EASTICA was also held during the workshop. The meeting has examined the preparation of the Third General EASTICA Conference to be held in Tokyo Japan from 14^th-17^th October 1997; the nomination of the new Executive Board members; the confirmation of 3 honourable members of the Branch; and the publication issues of the Branch Journal East Asian Archives. The meeting is significant for the smooth development of EASTICA.

Finally, I would like, on behalf of the ICA and EASTICA as well as all participants here, to express our sincere thanks to Mr. Peter Lau and Mr. Simon Chu and his colleagues from Hong Kong Public Records Office, and to Hong Kong Museum of History and Centre of Asian Studies of the University of Hong Kong for their perfect organization and enthusiastic efforts. Our heartfelt thanks are also extented to the dedicated resource persons, Mr. Hugo Stibbe and Mrs. Guo.

Now I declare successful close the Workshop. Let us meet again in Tokyo, Japan this October!