The Cable Damage Committee was set up in 1958. The name was changed to International Cable Protection Committee in 1967 as a better description of the aims of the organisation.

The original organisation was for the "Main Committee", as it was originally known, to formulate the policies, which a small Sub-committee of members, voted in at each Main Committee meeting, then organised and carried out. In addition the Sub-committee ran the internal administration of the organisation through the Secretary.

In the early years the Sub-committee would meet frequently, organising many aspects, such as Cable Warning Charts, which later were devolved down to the organisation of individual members. Most of the notes from these meetings have disappeared prior to 1975, but they always produced a formal report to the Main Committee. The frequency of the meetings prevents their listing prior to the formation of the Executive Committee in 1977.

The title "Plenary" for the Main Committee first appeared in 1972, but would not appear to have been a firm change, but rather a title that evolved gradually during the 1970's. By contrast the title "Executive" for the Sub-committee was a firm decision of the 1977 Plenary meeting.

The offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman have been held by the member administration rather than the individual person. This enables a re-organisation of staff to take place within an administration without effecting the Committee's organisation. Before 1976 there was no Vice Chairman, and if the administration holding the Chair was unable to attend, as occurred twice, then a Chairman had to be nominated at the start of the meeting. After 1976 the absence of the Chairman was more smoothly covered, as occurred in 1979 and 1991.

The Secretary was provided initially by Cable & Wireless, changing to the British Post Office in 1960, though for a number of years after that the official address remained with Cable & Wireless. The Secretariat remained with BPO/British Telecom International continuously until 1990, when a part time independent Secretary was engaged.

(The attached list of meetings has been compiled from the information available to the Secretary. If any other member can supply information to update this list the Secretary would be most grateful to receive it. At the date of this issue the Secretary does not have a copy of the notes of the inaugural meeting. If any member does have a record of that meeting the Secretary would be grateful for a copy).