Dear Martin
I send you some remarks on the document of the International Committees 
Task Force circulated on the 9th April 2003.
I must state beforehand an inquiry of general interest: given that only 
about 900 ICOM members have subscribed ICOM-L, I would like to know if the 
document has been circulated also via ordinary mail/post. If not, I would 
draw your attention on the fact that only a small part of ICOM members 
would be able to consider the document and send their remarks.

Creation
I believe that the minimum number of 50 members and 10 different countries 
to request a new committee is too high. From experience we have learnt that 
the creation of a new international committee is often promoted by a small 
number of members and that the committee will grow in the following years. 
This is what has happened, for example, for DEMHIST.
Before setting such high numbers, I would suggest to start analysing how 
the different international committees were born and how they have then 
developed. Has this kind of analysis ever been done yet?
Setting so many members and diffrent countries appears to disagree with 
what is claimed in the ICTF document itself: in fact the document claims to 
accept “a plurality of working models” as “there are very big and extremely 
small Committees!” That very small committees can exist is taken for granted.
On the other hand, ICOM Statutes always offer the chance to refuse the 
creation of new international committee.

Fiscal accountability and Legal Autonomy
I believe that the Fiscal accountability and the Legal Autonomy will lead 
up to consider International Committees as separate bodies from ICOM, and 
to weaken ICOM itself.
This is contrary to the same ICTF document which opens claiming that “The 
International Committees constitute the principal instruments for the work 
of ICOM and for the realisation of its programmes of activity”
Moreover the document does not make clear the nature and the ways through 
which the Fiscal accountability and the Legal Autonomy can be enacted.
The  Special bank account in the name of the IC is not possible. In many 
countries the creation of a bank account in the name of an organization (as 
an International Committee is) requires the availability, on the side of 
the organization (and in this case the International Committee), of a 
foundation act and of statutes legally registered and, moreover, of a legal 
location in the country where the bank account is be opened. ICOM Statutes 
cannot thus be used to this purpose.
This means that, each time that a new Chairman is elected, the committee 
would need to be re-founded in the country where the Chairman is resident. 
Another solution will be to establish for every International Committee a 
permanent location always in the same country. But this appears to be in 
contrast with the international spirit which have always qualified ICOM.
This is however an articulated problem which should take into consideration 
the rules of  every single different country in order to evaluate if this 
can be enacted or not. The Legal Committee, (which untill now has never met 
in plenary session) should be in charge to deal with this problem.

Framework Agreement between ICOM and ICs
I disagree with the creation of a  Framework Agreement as this would mean 
that the International Committees constitute different bodies separated 
from ICOM and are not complementary part of ICOM.
All that the ICTF document suggests to include in the Framework Agreement 
(point B), can be included in ICOM Statutes, when concerning the 
International Committee.

New standing committee of the Executive Council on International Committees
I consider it useless to create a New standing committee aiming to side the 
existing ones (Ethics Finance and Legal). I can remark that, except for the 
Ethics Committee, the other two committees have not given many positive 
results.
Please also consider that to increase the number of the standing Committees 
has three major disadvantages:
1-it will make ICOM organization even more complex,
2-it will increase the Secretariat work, raising also the organization 
management costs which at the moment ICOM cannot really afford because of 
the renting expenses for some of its offices,
3-it lessens the Executive Council of some of its prerogatives. And 
especially, all the work required from a new standing committee on the 
International Committees can be easily managed by the Executive Council. To 
this purpose, we should also consider that members will relevantly increase 
from the next Executive Council and that this will allow to do much more 
work than in the past.


Giovanni Pinna
Member of the Executive Council

At 14.42 09/04/2003 +0200, you wrote:
>Task Force on International Committees
>
>Dear ICOM members,
>
>In December 2000 the Executive Council (EC) set up a Task Force on
>International Committees (ICTF) on the recommendation of the ICOM Reform
>Task Force (1998-2001 triennium), passed at the General Assembly in
>Barcelona 2001. Its mission is to make concrete recommendations on any and
>all aspects of the role and responsibilities of International Committees
>(ICs) within ICOM, including also related Affiliated Organisations.
>
>The members of the ICTF are: Claudia Balk (SIBMAS), Nelly Decarolis
>(ICOFOM-LAM), David Elliott (CIMAM), David Grattan (ICOM-CC), Jean-Marcel
>Humbert (AVICOM), Sandra Lorimer (ICEE), Bernice Murphy (EC), Ganga Rautela
>(CECA), Per Rekdal (ICME), Keletso Setlhabi (CIDOC), and Martin R.Schärer
>(EC, coordinator).
>
>Our work started in November 2001 and included intense e-mail discussion,
>two meetings, and two ICOM-L discussions. We are very pleased to present our
>recommendations now to the whole ICOM membership for a general discussion.
>Afterwards, a final document will be established for consideration in the
>June 2003 meeting of the Advisory Committee (AC).
>
>The International Committees constitute the principal instruments for the
>work of ICOM and for the realisation of its programmes of activity. They are
>a channel of communication for members of ICOM with similar professional
>interests.
>
>The ICTF is well aware of the many organisational, financial and legal
>problems occurring in the daily life of International Committees. We don't
>have any miracles to offer. Neither can we breathe life into the
>International Committees, it is up to them to create visions. But we can try
>to facilitate their work by creating a better general framework, even if it
>may sound very technical and sober. We decided that our suggestions for
>reform should remain within the present statutes, at least in the first
>instance.
>Please keep in mind that the ICOM statutes will be completely revised during
>the coming years.
>
>We accepted some basic principles for our reforms: As much autonomy as
>possible for individual approaches and solutions, acceptance of a plurality
>of working models (there are very big and extremely small Committees!), as
>well as a flexible and demand-oriented approach for the creation of new
>International Committees. Such basic principles  need clear definitions. We
>will put them into four documents. They will enumerate the important points,
>without extended formulations. Such an approach should facilitate feedback.
>
>The discussion is open until 25 April 2003.
>
>We thank your warmly for your participation
>
>Martin R.Schärer
>Member of the Executive Council
>Coordinator of ICTF
>
>Our proposals concern the following four documents:
>A   Principles for the creation, operation and evaluation if ICs
>B   Framework agreement between ICOM and ICs
>C   Rules for ICs
>D   Terms of Reference for the new Standing Committee of the Executive
>Council on International Committees [this will be the 4th Standing Committee
>of the EC alongside the Ethics, Finance, and Legal Committees]
>
>All decisions are under the authority of the Executive Council which will
>consider the advice of the new Standing Committee as well as of the Advisory
>Committee.
>
>
>A   Principles for the creation, operation and evaluation if ICs
>
>Creation
>
>1.   ICOM fosters a demand-oriented approach for the creation of new ICs
>2.   Proposition made by at least 50 ICOM members from at least 10 countries
>from more than 1 continent
>3.   Professionally-oriented theme of global and long-lasting interest
>compatible with ICOM's core mission and statement of values
>4.   Conformity with the Statutes of ICOM
>5.   Conformity with the Code of Ethics for Museums
>6.   Establishment of Rules for the Ics' operation according to regular
>procedures
>7.   Signature of the Framework Agreement between ICOM and the office
>holders of the IC
>8.   A new IC is accepted after a three-year probationary period after which
>it joins the other ICs for periodical review and evaluation
>
>Operation
>
>1.   Act according to the documents cited in points 3, 4, 5 and 6 above
>2.   Special bank account in the name of the IC, with more than one
>signature
>
>Evaluation (regularly, at least once every 6 years)
>
>1.      Act according to the documents cited in points 3, 4, 5 and 6 above
>2.   Having relevant activities
>3.   Fiscal accountability
>4.   Minimum membership size of 50
>5.   Regular form of communication with members
>6.   Regular meetings, including requirement to convene a meeting at the
>time of the General Conference and Assembly of ICOM
>
>
>B   Framework Agreement between ICOM and ICs (signed by the president of
>ICOM and by any IC officer on taking up the function)
>
>1.      Reciprocal responsibilities, confidence and collaboration
>2.   Support of ICOM values and missions
>3.   Acceptance of  Principles for the creation, operation and evaluation of
>ICs
>4.   Conduct of the IC complies with ICOM's Statutes, Code of Ethics, Core
>Mission and Value statements and adopted Rules governing the Committee's
>operation
>5.   Accept all ICOM members (in good standing) as IC members (the IC has
>access to membership lists for internal use only), which includes the right
>to create groups with restricted membership for special purposes
>6.   Deliver a yearly activity and financial report to ICOM, including the
>results of elections
>7.   Legal autonomy in conformity with international and national law
>8.   Financial autonomy, including the right to accept sponsorship and to
>request fees for special activities and services (the basic membership and
>receipt of general information must be free in one IC for all ICOM members)
>9.   General financial behavior of IC should not compromise ICOM
>10.  Subsidies granted by ICOM according to the number of members formally
>recorded by ICOM on each IC list
>
>
>C   Rules for ICs
>
>These must be in conformity with the ICOM Statutes in general and  article
>17 in particular, and with the Code of Ethics, the Principles for the
>creation, operation and evaluation of ICs,  and the Framework Agreement
>between ICOM and ICs. As a minimum requirement, the following items must be
>mentioned:
>1.   Name
>2.   Applicability of the ICOM Statutes, the Code of Ethics, Values and
>Mission of ICOM, the Principles for the creation, operation and evaluation
>of ICs, and the    Framework Agreement with ICOM
>2.   Mission statement of the IC
>4.   Membership including, if desired, the right to co-opt non-ICOM members
>5.   Elections held regularly and reported to members and to ICOM
>6.   Financial management clearly and accountably presented annually
>7.   Procedure for amending the Rules as required, in a formal manner
>
>
>D   Terms of Reference for the new Standing Committee of the Executive
>Council on International Committees
>
>1.   The Committee is to be established and its chairperson and members are
>to be designated by the EC
>2.   9 members (2 of EC, 5 with IC experience elected by AC, 2 co-opted)
>3.   Advise the EC in all matters concerning the ICs, especially with
>respect to their creation, running and dissolution
>4.   Advise the ICs in difficulty and foster sharing of experience among ICs
>5.   Identify emerging issues and new initiatives to advance the work of
>ICOM through  ICs
>
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