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19th General Assembly of ICOM
Melbourne, Australia, 16th October 1998

Resolutions

Resolution No. 1: Museums and Cultural Diversity

Recognising the continuing significance of The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Noting the increasing
commitment to multicultural concerns by museums and other
institutions managing heritage resources across the world,
Recalling the various resolutions of ICOM General Assemblies
concerning culture and community development, Concerned about the
continuing tensions in different parts of the world derived from
inadequate cultural understanding,

The 19th General Assembly of ICOM, held in Melbourne, Australia, on 16th
October 1998,
Declares its commitment to:
a. the promotion of cultural rights of all peoples through a
reaffirmation of the values embedded in The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary,
b. support the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of the
World's Indigenous Peoples,
c. the development of museums as sites for the promotion of heritage
values of significance to all peoples through cross-cultural dialogue,
d. sharing concerns, achievements and projects dealing with cultural
diversity concerns, peace and harmony in regional, inter-regional and
international committee meetings,
e. promoting access of cultural communities to information and
collections relevant to their cultural heritage.

Resolution No. 2: Museums and Heritage Tourism

Recalling Resolution No. 2 on Museums and International Tourism
adopted by the 12th General Assembly of ICOM, in Moscow, Russia
(former USSR), in 1977, Considering the rapid growth of tourism
as the world's largest industry, Conscious that tourism
development offers opportunities for the conservation and
promotion of heritage resources, Concerned about the impacts of
tourism growth on both tangible and intangible heritage
resources, Acknowledging the United Nations Draft Declaration on
the Rights of the World's Indigenous Peoples and the United
Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to
National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities,

The 19th General Assembly of ICOM, held in Melbourne, Australia, on 16th
October 1998, Urges ICOM:
a. to continue the dialogue on the development of a policy position on
the sustainable and holistic approach to heritage tourism,
b. to collaborate with UNESCO, UNDP, ICCROM, ICOMOS and other agencies
for establishing standards for heritage conservation within the context
of tourism development, and for ensuring host community benefits.

Resolution No. 3: Regional Museum Development

Noting the final report of the World Commission on Culture and
Development entitled Our Creative Diversity, Considering the
outcomes of the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies
for Development in Stockholm, Sweden, in March-April 1998, and
the Conference on Understanding Culture in Sustainable
Development: Investing in Cultural and Natural Endowments of the
World Bank held in Washington, DC, USA, in September 1998,
Recognising the universal understanding of the role of culture in
development, based on ICOM experiences of the recent cultural
exchange between Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the
constitution of the Pacific Island Museums Association,

The 19th General Assembly of ICOM, held in Melbourne, Australia, on 16th
October 1998, Urges ICOM to facilitate the development of regional
groups and organisations in areas demonstrating identified need for
museums and cultural centre development, through:
a. convening of workshops and meetings with the assistance of the
International Committees and Regional Organisations of ICOM,
b. encouraging International Committees to hold their annual meetings in
regions where they have not met before,
c. assistance from UNESCO, the World Bank, UNDP, and other agencies for
pilot projects on museums and community cultural development.

Resolution No. 4: Consolidation of the Movement Against Illicit Traffic
in Cultural Property

Recalling Resolution No. 4 on Illicit Trafficking in Cultural
Property adopted by the 14th General Assembly of ICOM, in London,
United Kingdom, in 1983, Recalling CIDOC Recommendation on Object
ID approved by ICOM Executive Council in June 1997, Considering
the serious loss of heritage resources experienced worldwide due
to illicit traffic, Noting that only a minority of States have
signed and ratified the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or
Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995), and that the national
laws concerning the protection of heritage need to be improved,

The 19th General Assembly of ICOM, held in Melbourne, Australia, on 16th
October 1998, Calls on museums everywhere to:
a. lobby at the national level for the adoption and implementation of
the UNIDROIT Convention, and
b. to improve the national laws for the protection of heritage
resources.

Resolution No. 5.: Protection of the Cultural Heritage During and After
Armed Conflict

Recalling Resolution No. 2 adopted by the 18th General Assembly
of ICOM, in Stavanger, Norway, in 1995, Conscious that a
Diplomatic Conference will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
in March 1999 to prepare the final text on the Second Protocol to
The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in
the Event of Armed Conflict (1954), Aware that the draft text
being considered would improve the protection of cultural
heritage and recognise and facilitate the work of the
International Committee of the Blue Shield,

The 19th General Assembly of ICOM, held in Melbourne, Australia, on 16th
October 1998, Urges all members of the museum community to:
a. actively participate in the formulation of national policies with
respect to the preparation of the Second Protocol and to encourage
participation of their Member States in these deliberations,
b. co-operate with the national teams of the UNESCO Project Heritage,
Museums and Museology for social, cultural and environmental transition,
assisting the professionalisation of museums in emerging democracies.

Resolution No. 6: Towards a Convention for the Protection of Movable
Cultural Property of Universal Interest

Taking into consideration Resolution No. 1 adopted by the 13th
General Assembly of ICOM, in Mexico City, Mexico, 1980, on
Museums and the World Heritage, Resolution No. 2 adopted by the
15th General Assembly of ICOM, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in
1986, on The Future of Our Cultural Heritage: Emergency Call,
Resolution No. 2 adopted by the 18th General Assembly of ICOM, in
Stavanger, Norway, on Protection of the Cultural Heritage during
Armed Conflict, Considering the recommendation of workshops
organised by ICOM and UNESCO regarding the protection of cultural
heritage and especially those from the Bamako workshop held in
Mali, in October 1994, regarding illicit traffic in cultural
property, Conscious of the importance of the work undertaken for
the past seven years by the ad hoc ICOM Committee on Movable
Property, and following the presentation at the Executive Council
and the Advisory Committee in December 1997,

The 19th General Assembly of ICOM, held in Melbourne, Australia,
on 16th October 1998, Invites ICOM to integrate in its activities
the implementation of this objective as inscribed in the
triennial programme, and Strongly recommends UNESCO to consider
as a priority in its programme a feasibility study for the
preparation of The Convention for the Protection of Movable
Cultural of Universal Interest. Solicits the participation of
various government and non-government, national and international
organisations, including the Council of Europe and the World Bank
for the development of a programme for the protection and
promotion of cultural property.


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