Dear Colleagues and Members of ICOM,

We thank you for all the information, suggestions et recommendations you
sent on ICOM-L regarding the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq.

We would like to inform you that the President of ICOM, Jacques Perot, will
attend tomorrow a UNESCO expert meeting on Iraqi Cultural Heritage.
Other heritage organisations will also attend this meeting. During this
meeting we will obtain and exchange information on the current situation of
cultural heritage and museums in Iraq. This meeting will also be a starting
point to elaborate a post-conflict stragegy for the preservation of Iraqi
cultural heritage and to develop actions with other organisations to help
museums and colleagues in Iraq.

An ICBS (International Committee of the Blue Shield)meeting is scheduled for
April, 17th.

In addition, the ICOM Secretariat is trying to collect information on the
collections of the Iraq Museum and other Iraqi museums notably through
exhibition catalogues,web sites and experts.
We are also in contact with Interpol, our partner in the fight against the
illicit traffic in cultural property.

Of course we are collecting all your suggestions and proposals.
If you want to communicate directly with ICOM Secretariat on this subject,
please send a message to Jennifer Thevenot <[log in to unmask]> or
Cristina Menegazzi <[log in to unmask]>

Due to the recent high flow of messages on ICOM-L, we recommend you to try
to send only messages with professional, accurate and relevant new
information.

Once again, we would like to remind you to inform the art market, collectors
and museums in your country to avoid acquisitions of objects that might
belong to the Iraqi heritage or coming from this region. (see press release
at http://icom.museum/press_iraq_eng.html).

We thank you again for your contribution and support.

We will continue to keep you informed.

Sincerely,

Valerie Jullien
Communications Officer
ICOM secretariat

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