ICOM-L is a discussion list for all interested ICOM members. It is the
main forum for discussions within the organization outside of our annual
or triannual meetings and for spreading up-to-date information and
opinions among our members. In short, ICOM-L is a cornerstone in the
democratic structure of this member-based organization. It is therefore
of vital importance that ICOM-L stays open for all concerned
participants.

Lately there have been disturbing signs that the list does not function
this way. It has become obvious that messages posted on the list have
been withheld in the Secretariat and have not appeared in people's
mailboxes. In the beginning of April, a member of ICOM Norway and the
Ethics committee sent a posting expressing concern that the programme of
the June meetings had been altered so that standing committees should
not meet, contrary to earlier practice and contrary to what had already
been decided and announced also for this year's meeting. Her posting was
withheld and only appeared after she insisted on it during a long
telephone discussion with our new Director General.  Mails she received
in the wake of her message made it clear that other postings about the
same topic had also been withheld from the list. As a result of this
policy of withholding messages, the members of ICOM have in effect been
kept ignorant of what reactions there have been to the sudden and
unexplained change of schedule for the June meeting.

After several exchanges the list was reluctantly opened for a few new
postings. But the new policy in the Secretariat of screening each and
every mail before eventually posting it, leads to a delay of up to a
week or more - which of course reduces the value of ICOM-L as a quick
and efficient way of communication among ICOM members. There is no
reason why messages should be withheld in the Secretariat for so long.
It can not be necessary that our hard-working new Director General
should have the burden of personally reading each and every posting in
order to give his consent to posting it on the list. Messages should be
posted promptly after checking only that they are relevant to ICOM and
do not violate law or common decency, something which does not require
the involvement of the Director General.

Preserving ICOM-L as a free and open channel of information and opinion
is a basic prerequisite for maintaining ICOM as a democratic community -
an organization which exists by and for its members.

Leif Pareli
Chairman of ICOM Norway

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