On Tue, 19 Aug 2003, Per Bjørn Rekdal wrote:

+++++ [CLIP] +++++

> Rather than our Nigerian colleagues should waste time on finding out
> whether registrations are real (plus they will start coming from all parts
> of Africa), I think AFRICOM and other representative bodies of African
> museums should find ways for some kind of simple authorisation of
> conference registrations, so that we do not delete real registrations.

===============================

I agree in principle with Per, but I don't think that we can throw this
back on our African colleagues (since fake or dubious claims of ICOM
membership don't just come from that continent).

I think that this is just one more example of why international committees
(as well as national committees) URGENTLY need an on-line ICOM membership
system and directory - so that those organising ICOM meetings etc. can
check immediately on the membership status of those who are not known as
already registered members of the international committee.

This need was again emphasised as a priority at this year's meeting
of international committees in June, and it becomes even more urgent if
the management of so-called "non-voting" international committees is
switched from the ICOM Secretariat to the international committees
themselves.

Even though we got as far as reserving funds for buying and installing a
new computerised membership management system with this facility several
years ago, ICOM never seems to get beyond the "talking about it" stage.



Patrick Boylan
(ICOM-ICTOP)

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