It was set up in 1948, with Charles Samaran, the then director of the Archives nationales de France, as chairman, and membership is open to national and international organisations, professional groups and individuals.

ICA has close partnership links with UNESCO, and is a founding member of the Blue Shield, which works to protect the world's cultural heritage threatened by wars and natural disasters, and which is based in The Hague.

Governments, archivists, and international organizations recognized that safeguarding archives was essential to ensuring historical continuity amid geopolitical shifts and post-war recovery.

With support from UNESCO, the ICA became a key player in promoting international cooperation for restoring and advancing archival services, especially in territories impacted by military occupation and post-war reorganization.

The Society of American Archivists, alongside other international organizations, played a collaborative role in laying the groundwork for the ICA’s mission to ensure archives’ accessibility and sustainability across geopolitical boundaries.

The ICA encouraged the sharing of best practices among archivists from diverse backgrounds, offering training and technical assistance to areas facing post-colonial challenges or recovering from conflict.

This commitment to inclusivity reflects the organization’s belief that safeguarding cultural heritage and collective memory requires a global effort, ensuring that smaller or vulnerable communities are not left behind.

[5] The overarching objective of the ICA has remained focused on elevating archival administration standards globally, allowing institutions to better manage their collections and ensure historical continuity.

The organization’s evolution exemplifies how unforeseen developments—such as the post-war restructuring of societies—required archivists to adapt and innovate to meet new challenges, cementing the importance of the ICA as a guardian of collective memory in an increasingly interconnected world.