It was officially made operational in 1980 when the foreign ministers of the 57 members states held 11th summit in Islamabad. IRCICA functioned under its own mandate from 1983 to 2000 and thereafter, it serves as a secretariat and executive organ of the International Commission for the Preservation of Islamic Heritage (ICPICH), which became fully operational after the 13th summit of foreign ministers was held in Niamey, 1982. The International Commission for the Preservation of Islamic Heritage (ICPICH) was later merged into IRCICA in June 2000 after the 27th summit of foreign ministers was held in Kuala Lumpur.