Since 2021, the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI) has launched the registration program for Archives as the National Collective Memory (Memori Kolektif Bangsa, MKB). This initiative targets archives of significant Indonesian historical value, including records of political and social movements, prominent national figures, key events, international relations, customs and traditions, and historical turning points.
The program aims to save and preserve archives from destruction or loss, whether due to natural causes or human actions.
Additionally, it seeks to build a national database of historically significant archives and promote universal access to these records.
Among the documents recognized under this program is the archive of the 11th Colombo Plan Conference held in 1959 in Yogyakarta, which the UGM Archives preserve.
This collection has now been officially designated as part of the MKB program.
“The Colombo Plan archive collection was jointly submitted by UGM Library and Archives, the Yogyakarta Regional Library and Archives Agency (DPAD DIY), Puro Pakualaman, and the Yogyakarta City Library and Archives Office,” explained Arif Surachman, Head of UGM Library and Archives, on Monday, May 26, 2025.
Surachman stated that the total number of archival documents related to the 11th Colombo Plan Conference in 1959 held by DPAD DIY exceeds 80 files, supplemented by photographs and video recordings.
Meanwhile, the Yogyakarta City Library and Archives Office submitted two files, as did both Puro Pakualaman and the UGM Library and Archives.
He added that the Pantja Dharma building at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), which served as the venue for the 1959 Colombo Plan Conference, stands as an authentic testament to this historic event.
“The building at UGM forms an integral part of the archival collection, complementing the documentary records of the 11th Colombo Plan Conference in Yogyakarta,” he noted.
The official designation of the Colombo Plan 1959 Conference archive as part of the MKB was made on May 6.
The certificate of recognition was presented on May 22, 2025, during the 2025 National Coordination Meeting on Archival Affairs, which coincided with the 54th National Archival Day commemoration held at the ANRI Building, Jakarta.
With the receipt of this certificate, said Surachman, the DPAD DIY, UGM Library and Archives, Puro Pakualaman, and the Yogyakarta City Library and Archives Office are now entrusted with the responsibility to safeguard, maintain, preserve, utilize, and provide public access to the archival collection.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna