17th General Assembly of ICOM

Québec, Canada, 26 September 1992

Resolution No. 1: Rethinking the Boundaries

Recalling that museums have no boundaries other than what are established by people themselves,

Noting that museums, through their staff and collections, represent both the memory and conscience of society,

Recognizing that boundaries exist and are established as well as broken down,

Recognizing that boundaries can be political, institutional, socio-economic, as well as cultural,
 

the 17th General Assembly of ICOM, meting in Québec, Canada, on the 26th of September 1992:
 

1. Urges ICOM to undertake initiatives, using all available means and systems of communication to provide a better understanding of the benefit of museums to society.

2. Urges ICOM's International Committees to create a better exchange of ideas and experiences among museum professionals by using all ICOM's working languages during meetings as well as in publications.

3. Urges ICOM through its bodies to strengthen exiting regional training centres and to support both national and international training schemes as well as to encourage the re-establishment of training programmes which, for socio-economic reasons, have been suspended.

4. Urges ICOM through its bodies to break down barriers which isolate museums from the needs of the community

(a) by having closer cooperation among museum professionals and making efforts to represent minorities on museum staff;

(b) by communicating with community representatives, interest groups, and individuals;

(c) by initiating education and cultural action programmes;

(d) by establishing collection policies which recognize multi-cultural or cross cultural diversity;

(e) by working for the promotion of the protection and preservation of existing collections which represent a certain period, social group or point of view but which may not reflect the present situation.

5. Urges ICOM through its bodies to

(a) continuously support museums, organizations and institutions which promote and respect cultural diversity which is now endangered by political and economic changes around the world;

(b) draw attention to the need to protect and preserve the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities noting that such minorities represent a cultural heritage which is not only of significance to their own community but to humanity.
 
 

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Resolution No. 2: Preventing Threats to Cultural and Natural Heritage

Convinced that the role of international organizations such as the United Nations and its different bodies is of major importance and that action by and cooperation between ICOM, ICOMOS, ICCROM and non-governmental organizations is imperative,

Noting that UNESCO has instruments in the form of recommendations, resolutions and conventions dealing directly and indirectly with such incidents,

the 17th General Assembly of ICOM, meting in Québec, Canada, on the 26th of September 1992

recommends that

1. ICOM urges that implementation of all relevant UNESCO instruments, e.g. the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, 1954, and the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its sixteenth session in Paris, 1970, be undertake by those countries which have not so far done so;

2. ICOM find ways to provide moral and material support to National Committees and museum professionals affected by cultural and natural disasters by developing an emergency plan in close cooperation with relevant organizations;

3. ICOM consider the creation of a special fund to implement this emergency action plan;

4. ICOM continue to condemn the on-going removal and seizure of the cultural and natural heritage.