Dear International Committee Task Force (ICTF),
I have added my comments in your letter below.
With best wishes,
Jorgen Wadum
DB Member ICOM-CC
-----Original Message-----
From: International Council of Museums Discussion List
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Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 5:21 PM
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Subject: International Committee Task Force (ICTF)
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) and theme-oriented (not geographically
defined) Affiliated Organisations (AOs). We decided to bring a first set of
reform ideas to the general ICOM membership for critical consideration.
We broke down the complex issue into four main domains:
A General role and tasks of International Committees
B Procedures of creation and criteria of evaluation of ICs
C Organisation, membership administration and communication with members
D Legal and financial problems.
Please note that we have only treated items A and B until now. Hence we ask
you
NOT to discuss items C and D! We will come back later with
proposals on those matters.
You are asked to kindly give your opinion on the following topics. We are
looking forward to your comments, that are precious for our work:
1. ICs and (theme-oriented) AOs have similar functions. They should be
linked more closely and eventually merged in one new structure. Do you
agree?
JW: The different nature of a sister organisation (IC) compared to an
associated organisation (AO) cannot in my view have the same association to
ICOM. And what is a new structure? I thought that ICOM was / is the current
structure. With this current structure (ICOM) is ICOM-CC having a
relationship. If the AO's should be more closely linked to ICOM is another
matter and probably worth considering including them into the current
structure of ICOM - if we want all of them into this structure.
2. The general mission of ICs (we retain this name for the "new structure")
should include the following: principal instruments of discussion and
exchange, themes should be basic museum tasks/functions, global approach,
durable mission, mutual collaboration, activity in favour of ICOM. Which
other basic topics should be included?
JW: The IC's should be far more service orientated towards ICOM and the
museum world as a whole. I see IC's as think tanks; however, some appear
more as loges for VIP's only.
3. Concerning the creation of new ICs we foster a "market approach", or a
pragmatic one, according to the needs of the museums community. We don't
foresee a pre-established system of ICs. Do you agree?
JW: yes.
4. The criteria for the creation of new ICs should include mainly:
conformity with the Code of Ethics and the ICOM Statutes, global in every
respect (theme, membership), clear definition of the theme that has to be a
long-lasting one treating with museum matters, minimum number of members
(maybe at least 100), members from different countries (for instance at
least 10) and from different continents (at least 3). Do you have other
criteria or other conditions for the creation of new ICs?
JW: complete transparency towards ALL ICOM members.
5. We suggest that an observation period of 3 years should be introduced
definitively
before a new IC is accepted into the ICOM family. Do you think that such a
period is appropriate?
JW: yes.
6. Every 12 years ICs should be evaluated. Criteria include the same as
under 4. in addition to the following ones: application of the Code of
Ethics
and the ICOM Statutes, contribution by any means to general ICOM issues,
having a healthy financial policy, having a functioning administration with
regular elections, running a web site, publishing a newsletter for the
members, organising one meeting every year. Do you want to include other
items, e.g. joint meetings with another IC/AO or the necessity of publishing
the papers presented at meetings?
JW: Here I repeat that the IC's should be service oriented towards ICOM.
IC's function not only as think tanks but should as centres of excellencies
bring thoughts out - back to its multitude of members and for their benefit.
I have no use of IC's which discuss for a cumulative number of Triennial
Periods without any of us benefiting from their work.
7. An IC can end its activity by its own will or it can be dissolved; in
the latter case, the same criteria as under item 6. are applicable. Your
opinion?
JW: Agree
8. Creation of a new ICOM Standing Commission on ICs. This body has to work
on the creation, the evaluation and the dissolution of ICs and has to give
advice and help to ICs in difficulty. It reports to the Executive Council
(which has the ultimate decision) through the Advisory Committee. Do you
think that this could be a workable system?
JW: yes.
9. Regionalisation of ICs is important, especially to allow more colleagues
to participate to meetings and to benefit from others' experience. Hence,
the creation of regional sub-IC's is fostered. Agree?
JW: Within IIC, an international organisation within the
Conservation-Restoration world (4.000 members) which is having regional
groups, this does not work sufficiently everywhere. The whole strength of
ICOM is that it not regional but International. Till now some regional
groups existed, but what is the work of ICOM-Europe? Regional Fund Raising
Groups could be considered.
10. Outside the framework of IC's, we recommend the creation of ICOM Working
Groups as new entities to deal with short-term, new and very precisely
defined topics. They could be a quick response to new needs in a limited
time frame. Do you agree with such a new body?
JW: I have my strong doubts. I would rather like to see ad hoc or Task Force
groups embedded in two or more of the existing IO's. The host IO's could
then keep the Task Force at a short leach, guide them in order to extract
the maximal from those short-term bodies. But not outside the framework of
the IO's.
ICOM members ought to benefit much more than they currently do from the
loads of brilliant voluntary work that takes place everywhere. Especially so
with all the IO's and their specialists that should share new gained
insights with the rest. IO's with few introvert members do in my opinion not
belong to ICOM. ICOM means Networking, and ICOM means sharing, bonding,
collaboration for the mutual benefit of our visitors: the worlds population
who wants to discover and learn about the present via the past - well kept,
examined, presented for now and the future.
Thank you for allowing us to participate in this important discussion.
best wishes,
Jørgen Wadum
Chief Conservator
Royal Cabinet of Paintings Mauritshuis
P.O. Box 536
2501 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
tel: +31 70 302 3461
fax: +31 70 365 3819
eml: [log in to unmask]
www.mauritshuis.nl <http://www.mauritshuis.nl>
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