"Jullien, V." wrote: > In addition, the ICOM Secretariat is trying to collect information on the > collections of the Iraq Museum and other Iraqi museums notably through > exhibition catalogues,web sites and experts. > We are also in contact with Interpol, our partner in the fight against the > illicit traffic in cultural property. > I have remained silent until now. I wonder why there was not a similar reaction to the equivalent situation in the Arican conflicts of the recent past and still ongoing - perhaps we don't have CNN in the frontline?. However, I wish to take this opportunity, in the light of the quoted paragraph, to emphasise the importance of projects like the Africom Inventory Project, the Handbook of Standards, and to take them to the next level. Funding must be made available to document and digitise all of these collections and store the information on a central database - ICOM is the obvious organisation to act as a repository. My plea is not only for Africa - but for all collections worldwide - if this were possible we would have no problem now trying to retrospectively identify what has been looted. We would also know what is held by museums outside of Iraq or Africa by museums in the US and Europe. I think what I am trying to say is that most museum professionals are aware of the dangers, those of us who are in conflict zones perhaps more than others (remember that prior to the 1990's South Africa was slated to erupt in a bloodbath). We try to take precautions, we try to protect our artefacts, but money is always the bottom line - where do we get the funds to deal with the situation. Funding for good, accurate, centralised inventories and information would go a long way, as would some funding for establishing safe repositories to remove the artefacts to in time of conflict. This war is slated to have cost $80 billion - how far would a ten percent `tax' get us in realising these potentials? This was a deliberate invasion - not an eruption of violence. We have now the opportunity to lobby the powers that be concerning what happens in times of conflict - this could have been planned for well in advance - and I am sure the Iraqi museologists agonised over the possibilities equally as much as I did in the 1990's - but if there are no funds to attend to the issues there is very little they can do. Make the US establish a fund, administered by UNESCO to the tune of a ten percent tax - to be used exclusively to document as rapidly as possible all heritage held in theatres of conflict and potential conflict, to create a central repository for this information and also to assist museums to make viable arrangements (viable means backed by guaranteed funding) for the safeguarding of artefacts in times of potential threat. Documentation is essential in times of natural disasters or attacks such as 9/11 - what would have happened if the Smithsonian's collections repository had been targetted? - or in a natural disaster. Preparation is essential where the possibility of a disaster such as the Iraqi situation is known in advance - this has been a possibility for at least two years now! I think that ICOM and UNESCO and the UN must insist on the establishment of a fund, using this situation which is so publicised, and citing the same situations occurring in Africa (btw - what is being done about the potentially explosive situation in Zimbabwe and Swaziland?), to be used to establish a central repository of data concerning heritage held by institutions worldwide, whether natural, cultural or archival in nature as well as to assist repositories to put in place plans and facilities for safekeeping of heritage in times of crisis. I think a 10% war tax on the USA and UK is not unreasonable! Projects such as the Africom Inventory Project have not floundered because of lack of commitment but because of lack of funding. Glyn Balkwill Collections Manager National Cultural History Museum PO Box 28088 SUNNYSIDE 0132 RSA Tel(w):27 (0)12 324-6082; Tel(h): 27 (0)12 664-1973; Cell: 27 (0)82 770-7826 Fax :27 (0)12 328-5173; Email : [log in to unmask] Any opinions expressed are strictly my own - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html