Re: International Committee Task Force (ICTF)

Dear ICOM members,

Last year a Task Force on International Committees was created. If you are
interested in the work of this group you should go to the ICOM web site
where you will find all the basic information:
http://www.icom.org/task_int.html

This working group had intensive discussions on how to improve the system
of International Committees (ICs), concerning relevant Affiliated
Organisations (AOs).

Last February we brought a first set of ideas to the general membership for
critical consideration. We want to express our warmest thanks to all of you
who responded.

Please find hereafter a second paper concerning our basic issues. Many of
them are controversial and our Task Force is not yet able to suggest
concrete propositions. This will be done in a second phase starting this
summer. I invite you to consider the following thoughts and ideas that will
be discussed during the next meeting of the Advisory Committee and of the
Executive Council at the very beginning of June.

GENERAL REMARK

We foster a pragmatic, liberal and demand-oriented approach, open to all
creative initiatives from the museum world. Since such a system can only
work within a clearly defined framework, we intend to establish a set of
basic rules representing minimum standards.


SPECIFIC ISSUES

1. General mission of ICs. ICs are concerned with important and ICOM-
relevant museum missions worldwide, with an emphasis on sustainability.
They are the main instruments of ICOM international networking, discussion
and exchange.

2. One type of "new" ICs. New ICs combine the positive elements/advantages
of actual ICs and not geographically defined Affiliated Organisations (AOs
covering a subject-area). This point is the most disputed one and the ICTF
has not yet made up its mind definitively.

3. Market approach. The initiative of creating new ICs - which can be very
big or rather small, and includes the possibility of creating regional sub-
groups - must be specifically requested, and is not governed by a pre-
established system of possible ICs or groups of them. The Executive Council
and the Advisory Committee can always suggest the creation of specific ICs,
if the need occurs.

4. Creation of ICs. A certain number of criteria will be established. They
concern especially the following issues:
- conformity with the ICOM Code of Ethics
- having a clearly defined subject concerning an important and ICOM-
relevant museum mission and being of global and in a long-term perspective
- having a minimum number of interested people from a minimum number of
countries of in at least three continents
- being operational during an trial period (for instance 3 years)

5. Periodical evaluation (for instance every 12 years) and dissolution of
IC's. A certain number of criteria will be established. They concern
especially the following issues:
- conformity with the ICOM Code of Ethics
- contributing by any means to general ICOM issues
- having a relevant activity, including meetings
- having a minimum number of members from a minimum number of countries of
at least three continents
- having a functioning administration with regular elections
- assuming regular communication with all the members
- having a sound financial policy

6. Competent body for the creation, evaluation and dissolution of ICs. All
decisions are made by the Executive Council taking into consideration the
advice of the Advisory Committee. The EC can create a new Standing
Commission for IC matters or can seek special ad hoc advice.

7. Statutes of ICs. Minimal criteria will be established. They concern
mainly formal issues like the relationship with ICOM, membership,
administration, elections etc.

8. Legal structure. A sound legal base for the registration of ICs giving
them a maximum of autonomy has to be found. This could include a better
definition of ICs within the ICOM system, a common legal entity registered
in one country or separate structures in different countries or, finally, a
number of concurrent options based on suggestions from the ICs.

9. Membership. Everybody can become a member of an unlimited number of ICs
by accepting their conditions (fees etc.). Nobody can serve in the board of
more than one IC. A minimum percentage of ICOM members in each IC is
required (for instance 80%).

10. Finances. In principle, every IC is responsible for its finances.
According to a possible general new structure of ICOM, to a new
distribution of tasks and to claimed services, subsidies (general or only
for specific programmes) can be given from ICOM to ICs and/or fees have to
be paid by the ICs to ICOM. Concerning banking accounts, a viable system
has to be found. This could include a general bank account with separate
drawers for each IC or completely individual accounts or both of them.
Since financial problems seem to be the most crucial ones, let's not forget
a very important advantage of the actual system: the role of National
Committees as recruiting and fee collecting entities for ICOM. Hence the
creation of a new structure depends also strongly on the results of the
National Committees Task Force discussions.

11. Relationship to ICOM. From the ICTF point of view, a new general
structure for ICOM has to be found. The ICTF is exploring models for such a
new structure being situated somewhere between the current state of the
ICOM system on one hand and ICOM as a federation of completely independent
associations (whose members would only be ICOM members in an indirect way)
on the other hand.

To sum up: Two main tendencies result from the ICTF discussions: A first
one tends towards more autonomy for the ICs by keeping the advantages and
benefits of ICOM as THE universal and recognised museum organisation. A
second tendency fosters a plurality of models including ICs with their own
administration as well as small ICs requesting these services from the
Secretariat. All is still open!


We are looking forward to reading your comments and we thank you in advance
for your valuable contribution.

With our best wishes and kindest regards

Martin R.Schärer
Member of the Executive Council
Co-ordinator of ICTF

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