Table of Contents

I. Finances and administration
II. Membership Service
III. Information Centre
IV. Programme activities
V. Publications and communication

I. FINANCES AND ADMINISTRATION

1. Finances

Piet Pouw, ICOM treasurer, will present the 1999 balance sheet at the 96th Executive Council meeting on June 8 and 9 2000 in Paris (France). The balance sheet will be put before the Advisory Committee in May 2000. The budget for 2000 will be presented to the Advisory Committee in June 2000.

2. Personnel

Eloisa Zell, Membership Officer and her executive assistant Sophie Op 'teynde are assisted by Marina Larioui and Thomas Jandia who also work on a part-time basis for the administrative service. Sophie Op 'teynde will be leaving on March 31 2000. She worked at the UNESCO-ICOM Information Centre from September 1995 to March 1996, before joining the Membership Service to assist Eloisa Zell in April 1996. A new assistant will be recruited as soon as possible.

Caroline Taylor-Bouché, assistant editor, left ICOM in 1999. She worked at ICOM from May to July 1999. She will be replaced by Saskia Brown (of English mother tongue) who started on September 1999.

Valérie Chièze, Programme Activities Officer, left her position in July 1999. She had been working at ICOM since 1991. She has been replaced by Jennifer Thévenot. Christina Menegazzi has been recruited as programme specialist within the sector. The Programme Activities service has added under short tem- contracts to its personnel to help it in its activities: Armelle Duval, Aurélien Gaborit, Sabine Lacaze, Hermine Ngo Mbilla, Dana Pottratz, Isabelle Rousseaux and Claire Tiesse. Lydia Camison is currently working as an assistant in the service on a fixed contract basis.

Abdel Imedni has been recruited as a clerical worker on a fixed contract basis. He is working in the Administrative Service and in the UNESCO-ICOM Information Centre.

For the Reform Task Force (RTF), the Membership Officer researched and drew up working documents on ICOM's governance (including its administrative procedures & practices) and its partners (Ref: EZ 99/381 & 382). These documents were distributed to the Task Force members at its December 1999 meeting in Madrid (Spain). Along with the Administrative Officer, she provides support to its members and attends its meetings (October & December 1999, April 2000).

During this period, the Unit successfully sought discounts/and or preferential rates for the following publications from UNESCO: World Heritage Review (a quarterly magazine available in English, French & Spanish) and the 2000 Desk Diary. These were published in the frst issue of ICOM News for 2000. Further, other current benefits (including free entry to Italian museums) were noted in a special rubric in ICOM News (No. 1, 2000).

In striving to improve communications with new and potential members, the Unit undertook a second and revised edition of its Welcome Brochure in January 2000. This publication (produced in collaboration with the Communications Sector), cites all the advantages accruing to individual and institutional members. It describes the functions of the policy-making bodies of the Organization and its component bodies.  The Brochure gives brief descriptions of the work of International Committees and Affiliated Associations and informs members on how to apply to these bodies.

As part of its communications policy, it continues to diffuse its Manual of Administrative Procedures (revised April 1999), accompanied by a leaflet entitled 'For More Information', to all newly-elected Chairs and Secretaries of ICOM's component organs.

The Unit diffused information on the ICOM Fund to all the active (106) National Committees of ICOM in September/October 1999, encouraging them to contribute to the Fund and help aid colleagues that are temporarily unable to pay annual fees to the Organization. The Membership rubric in ICOM News No. 2, 2000, also calls upon other members to donate to the Fund and therefore help Committees that need financial assistance.

The Unit continued to collaborate closely with the UNESCO Publications Office in the distribution of MUSEUM International (English, French and Spanish editions) to ICOM's institutional and individual members.

In October 1999, the Membership Officer (together with other staff members) met with the Chairperson and Board members of the German National Committee as well as the Chairs and representatives of National Committees of Eastern Europe (Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia).

At the invitation of the National Committee of Israel, the Membership Officer participated at a seminar organized by INTERCOM in Jerusalem (February 2000). The ICOM President as well as a Vice President also attended. This seminar on strategic planning and management was considered a success by the delegates who participated at the various workshops.

Administration
In the management of its appointed tasks, the Unit (composed of two permanent staff members) also avails of assistance from two part-time clerks (one of whom is hired under a government-sponsored " Solidarity " contract).

Following a change in UNESCO's policy, the Unit's membership data base was transferred from the UNESCO mainframe in December 1999 to personal computers. A consultant continues to train the Unit's personnel in the management of the data base, in selective extraction of data and their production on diskettes, lists and sticky labels.

The Unit renders benefits and services to more than 15,500 active members from 147 countries; the members who have not paid 1999 dues are considered lapsed and benefits (including publications) are suspended.

During the first three months of the year 2000, the Unit processed 551 new members of which 528 are individuals.

The following is a brief rundown of membership figures for 1999 at March 23, 2000:

The tables in Section 3 of this report give membership statistics by categories, by geographical region and by selected country.
The Organization counts 106 active National Committees as at March 23, 2000. All active committees are listed in a Directory that is regularly published as an insert in ICOM News.
The Unit also deals directly with more than a hundred members in 41 other countries where National Committees do not exist.
At the writing of this report, the Organization counted members in 147 countries.
For practical and efficient communication with members from all over the world, the Unit continues to make effective use of electronic mail.

1. National Committees

1.1 Establishment of New Committees
During its sessions held in Paris (June 1999) and in Madrid, Spain (December 1999), Council approved the creation of the National Committees of Belarus, Jamaica and Kazakhstan provided that they met all statutory requirements. As at March 23rd, only Belarus had satisfied conditions required by ICOM's Statutes.

1.2. Reorganized National Committees
The following Committees regularized their membership situation during the period and are again considered active: Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cameroon, Jordan, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Uzbekistan.

1.3. Committees Under Reorganization
The following National Committees did not remit annual dues in 1999 and are therefore considered inactive: Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Kyrgyztan and Mauritania. In accordance with membership policy, letters were sent to each member of these Committees (copies furnished to Chairs & Secretaries) encouraging them to continue their membership directly with the Secretariat and to regularize the situation of their Committee. However, services are no longer rendered to the unpaid members of these Committees.

1.4. ICOM Fund
Contributors to the Fund during the period are: France, Canada and Switzerland.
Council approved support from the Fund for the following Committees for 1999 & 2000: Central African Republic, Mali & Ukraine for 1999; Belarus, Dominican Republic & Togo for 2000. It also approved financial support for Kazakhstan on the condition that the Committee met statutory requirements.

1.5. Membership Subsidies
Council approved requests from two National Committees for special membership subsidies for the year 2000: The Former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. These Committees are authorized to remit FF 142 (? 22 or $ 26) for each individual member for 2000.

2. International Committees

As noted in this report's preface, the Unit processed 724 new applications in 1999. Further, the Unit continues to furnish the Committees with their updated membership lists and newly-processed application forms on a regular basis; sticky labels and diskettes are also furnished upon request.

Regular annual subsidies: Council approved the subsidies to International Committees as based on their active voting membership. This list (doc. EZ/ 99/347) was drawn up on November 15, 1999 (Annex). International Committees are entitled to receive FF 40 for each active voting member.

3. Membership Situation

The following tables show the membership situation for the period: number of paid-up members by category, by region and by selected country for 1999 . Figures are valid at March 23, 2000.

Table I

Comments:
Although the Unit was informed by several National Committees that payments were to be remitted, these payments and corresponding lists of paid-up membership were received late, thereby causing a delay in the processing of the dues.
Reminders regarding unpaid dues were sent to the Committees in June, July and October of 1999, and many replies to these letters came late in the year or early in 2000.
Due to the migration of the data base from the UNESCO mainframe to personal computers in December 1999 as well as to other circumstances beyond its control, the Unit did not always have the resources to enable it to immediately process the payments received at the Secretariat.

Table II

Regional distribution of paid-up members for 1999

Comments:
Most of the Arab States are included in the rubric for Africa, a few are included in the European region. North America is composed of the United States & Canada.

Table III

Twelve Largest National Committees
The 12 largest National Committees, in terms of their registered paid-up membership for 1999 (at March 23, 2000) are the following. (The numbers in parentheses are the paid-up members recorded for 1998.):

4. ICOM Foundation

The Unit manages the supporting memberships of the ICOM FOUNDATION (17 active individuals at March 23, 2000). It collects annual dues from these members and in return ensures that services are rendered to them (e.g. ICOM cards, publications, documents.)

5. Honorary Members

The Organisation presently counts eight (8) honorary members from the following countries: Brazil, Czech Republic, France (2), Israel, Nigeria, Russia, United Kingdom. The Unit ensures that services are automatically rendered to them (e.g. cards, publications).

6. ICOM News

The Membership Unit handles subscriptions to ICOM News (invoices, payments, distribution) from non-members (approx. 50). The Unit also ensures complementary dissemination of the newsletter to a selective mailing list (comprising mainly of key UNESCO staff members, UNESCO National Commissions, Permanent Delegations to UNESCO, National Libraries and Documentation Centres). At March 23^rd, 2000, this list counted 420 names and addresses.

7. Other Matters

At the request of the President of the Advisory Committee and the Secretary General, the Membership Officer attended several sessions of the Administrative Commission of UNESCO's 30th General Conference (October-November 1999) and studied repercussions involved in a proposed rental of offices for NGOs presently headquartered within UNESCO's premises. A memo was submitted to the Secretary General regarding this matter.

III. UNESCO-ICOM Museum Information Centre

Functioning
The role of the UNESCO-ICOM Information Centre is to build up the most exhaustive possible collection of documents and publications produced by ICOM and its National and International Committees, and Affiliated Organisations. Heads of Committees are reminded that they are to send all their committee's documents and publications to the ICOM Information Centre. These documents are indexed and mentioned in ICOM News. They will be available at the Centre to anybody who is interested in the work of ICOM and its Committees.

1. Information Centre database

The database managed by the Information Centre is a purely bibliographic database containing references rather than end content.
Since September 1999, the database has been housed on a microcomputer running the CDS/ISIS for Windows software. The database currently contains only data from the ICOM Information Centre. The change of system has facilitated data transfer and now makes it possible to send bibliographies in text (.txt) or Word format, notably by electronic mail (e-mail). As regards data downloading for the BCIN and BMUSE databases, the two systems use different data structures. Consequently, a way needs to be found to download data directly to the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) Web site.

2. Information collection

The UNESCO-ICOM Information Centre has the special responsibility of collecting information on the ICOM committees for inclusion in the calendar published in ICOM News and on the ICOM Web site. Committee Chairpersons and Secretaries are therefore asked to send all information related to the meetings organised by their Committee.

3. Information services

The Information Centre is open to the public from Monday to Thursday from 2.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. It is advisable to make a prior appointment. By special arrangement with the staff, ICOM members may consult the documentation in the morning from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

The Centre also offers information services by telephone and by correspondence (mail, fax, e-mail). Because the Centre currently has only one employee, this correspondence service is available to ICOM members only.

The UNESCO-ICOM Information Centre provides information on the Organisation's activities, on ICOM documents and publications and, as far as possible, redirects users to other information sources if ICOM has no published documents on a given subject.

From May 1999 to March 2000, the Centre welcomed 100 visitors. Over this period, it answered 286 requests for information by mail, e-mail and fax.

For all requests for information or documentation on issues of general museological interest, ICOM members should contact the Documentation Centre at the Direction des musées de France (DMF), enclosing a photocopy of their membership card with the current year's sticker. The address is as follows: 6, rue des Pyramides, 75041 Paris cedex 01, France. To consult documents at the Centre, it is advisable to contact the Centre's staff by mail, telephone (+33 (0)1 40 15 36 28), fax (+33 (0)1 40 15 36 60) or e-mail <doc.dmf@culture.gouv.fr>.

The DMF - MUSEES- Documentation Centre database is accessible via the Internet from the French Ministry of Culture and Communication server: http://www.culture.gouv.fr/ (under the heading "Bases de données Documentation").

IV. PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES

This period was marked by changes in the structure in the Programme Sector. Valérie Chieze, Programme Activities Officer, left ICOM in July 1999. She was replaced in this function by Jennifer Thévenot, who was assisted from September to February 1999 by Aurélien Gaborit and Lydia Camison on temporary contracts. In March 2000 Cristina Menegazzi joined the Sector as Programme Specialist. Lydia Camison will remain with ICOM until June 2000. She provides secretarial assistance to the Programme and Communication Sectors and also does the Spanish proof-reading of ICOM News.


1. Fund Raising

1.1. Reporting to funding institutions
The following technical and financial reports for the funding institutions that contributed to the following activities were prepared and submitted during this period:

1.2. Fund Raising activities
All activities are funded through special fund raising campaigns. For this, the Programme Activities sector in co-operation with the Secretary General and project coordinators identifies possible funders, prepares project proposals and previsional budgets and follow up with funders together with the Secretary General.

The Secretary General met with Helen Nordenson of the Sida in Lusaka, Zambia on the occasion of the AFRICOM Constituent Assembly held in October 1999. She confirmed Sida's ongoing interest in supporting the AFRICOM Organisation. She also attended the meeting of the newly elected AFRICOM Board held directly after the Assembly, in order to determine funding priorities for the new Organisation.

In pursuance of their programme of activities with ICOM, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted ICOM in December 1999 with the announcement of the availability of US$ 700,000. Thus, priority was given to the Workshop on Cultural Tourism, a project which had been proposed by Yani Herreman, and which the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs was eager to organise in both Peru and Bolivia.

The Secretary General and Programme Activities Officer met with the Director and Deputy Director of the Division of Cultural Heritage of UNESCO to discuss current and future programmes and projects, then again with representatives of all the sectors in the Division especially to discuss the framework agreement proposals for 2000-2001. The Secretariat also provided assistance to the Government of Georgia through its Permanent Delegation at UNESCO for the preparation of a request under UNESCO's Participation Programme.

Negotiations are under way with the UNESCO Office in Jordan to obtain funding for a training programme for the curators of several new museums in Jordan, on the model of the training programme for the curators of the Nubia Museum which ICOM has been implementing over the past years.

The President of ICOM, the Secretary General and the Programme Activities Officer have had meetings with French Government agencies to attempt to raise interest in funding the proposed Conference on Illicit Traffic in Europe. The total amount necessary to cover the budget for this Conference has not yet been found.

However, in a meeting with the President of The Florence Gould Foundation, the President of ICOM was able to obtain the financing for "One Hundred Objects. Looting in Europe".

2. Meetings and workshops

2.3. 25-30 June 1999 : ICOM/UNESCO Training Workshop on Outreach Museum Programmes in West and Southern Africa: Current and Future Perspectives, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
This workshop, which was sponsored by UNESCO and the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, addressed the issue of outreach museum programmes in Africa. Approximately 40 participants from African countries convened for 5 days to exchange and share ideas with the view to improving outreach museum education programmes in Africa, and to made recommendations regarding possibilities of carrying out these programmes in Africa. Three regional UNESCO Representatives also attended the workshop: from Harare, Zimbabwe, Luanda, Angola and Dakar, Senegal. Jennifer Thévenot worked with the local organising committee to ensure the implementation of this workshop in Bulawayo.
Two versions, English and French, of the proceedings from this workshop were prepared and sent to all participants in the workshop, the funding institutions, the African National Committees, and other interested persons. These proceedings will be an important reference document for preparing guidelines aimed at improving outreach museum programmes in Africa.
UNESCO has expressed interest in organising other workshops on this subject for other regions in Africa, and this proposal was supported by the General Conference of UNESCO meeting in Paris in November 1999.

2.2. 30 September to 9 October 1999: AFRICOM Constituent Assembly. Lusaka, Zambia.
From July to October 1999 the Programme Sector, together with the Communication Sector, was involved with the organisation and implementation of this historical event which gave birth to the International Council of African Museums (AFRICOM) towards which African museum professionals and ICOM International had been working since 1991. Approximately 100 African professionals and resource persons convened in Lusaka to set up the Organisation, designate its Headquarters (Nairobi, Kenya), elect its Board of Directors, and adopt Statutes and a Programme to carry forth the work of AFRICOM.
Prior to the Assembly, the AFRICOM Coordinating Committee held a meeting in Lusaka to review procedures for the Assembly and establish guidelines for the new Organisation.
These activities were funded by the Sida, the Ford Foundation, the Getty Grant Program, and NORAD. Present from the ICOM Secretariat were Manus Brinkman, Jennifer Thévenot Valérie Julllien, and Aurélien Gaborit. Lydia Camison, in Paris ensured coordination with the travel agency and the participants during their travels.
The new AFRICOM Board of Directors held its first meeting at the close of the Assembly to discuss the programme and budget, and Helen Nordenson from Sida pledged to assist the new Organisation with funds from Sida in its start-up period. ICOM/Paris has agreed to help the new Organisation manage its funds during the first year, to give it time to set up an operational bank account.
Two versions, English and French, of the Proceedings of the AFRICOM Constituent Assembly have been produced and sent to all participants in the workshop, the funding institutions, all the African National Committees, the Ministries of Culture throughout Africa, and other interested persons. In addition to the speeches and participants' papers, they contain a General Report of the meeting, the workshop reports, and the AFRICOM Statutes and Programme of activities for the years 2000 and 2001.

2.3. 26 November: Meeting of ICOM Germany; 28 November: Combined meeting of ICOM Germany and Eastern European Committees

Jennifer Thévenot participated in these meetings to explain the functioning of the Programme Activities Sector, its relations with the National and International Committees, and, as concerns the meeting on the 28th of November with representatives of ICOM Germany and eastern European Committees, to advance the preparations for the production of "One Hundred Missing Objects. Looting in Europe".

2.4. 6 December 1999: Meeting of the Blue Shield Committee
Sixteen persons attended this meeting, of which five from UNESCO. UNESCO is still expressing interest and hope of finding funds to set up a clearing house for the Afghanistan heritage within ICOM. Mr. Noguchi committed UNESCO to a contribution for the publication of "One Hundred Missing Objects. Looting in Afghanistan", and requested ICOM to proceed with this publication. UNESCO also asked ICBS to participate in a Scientific Ad-hoc Committee on Afghanistan
It was decided to hold a special ICBS meeting on 13-14 April in Strasbourg, France, specifically to define the vision, mission and organisational structure of ICBS.

2.5. 6-9 December 1999: Meeting on the AFRICOM Programme and Budget for 2000-2001

A meeting was held at the ICOM Secretariat with the President and Treasurer of AFRICOM, together with Claude Ardouin, to finalise the AFRICOM programme and budget for 2000-2001 and the fund-raising campaign document.

2.6. 12-15 January 2000: AFRICOM Board of Directors meeting at the AFRICOM Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya
At this first meeting, the Board of Directors of the new autonomous Organisation of African Museums discussed its mode of operation, fund raising activity, and the installation of the Headquarters. It also held interviews for the position of Executive Director of the Organisation. As a suitable candidate could not be designated at that time the Board decided to relaunch the call for candidacies of the position of Executive Director.

2.7. 14 February 2000: Meeting at the ICOM Secretariat with representatives of Patrimoine sans Frontières
The Secretary General and Programme Activities Officer met with representatives of the above organisation to discuss possible collaborative actions with regard to Kosovo. It was decided that, since Patrimoine sans Frontières has good relations with the KFOR, all forms of assistance should be channelled through Patrimoine sans Frontières

2.8. 18 February 2000: Third Inter-secretariat Meeting on a Forum on Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property. French Office of the Council of Europe

The Programme Activities Officer attended this meeting that was chaired by Jose Maria Ballester, Head of the Cultural Heritage Service of the Council of Europe. Also present were representatives of Interpol, the Getty Information Institute, UNESCO, UNIDROIT, the Art Loss Register and the European Union. This forum which is planned to be held before the end of 2000 will address the issues of protection, circulation of art objects within and outside the European Community, cooperation with public authorities, cataloguing and inventories, awareness raising and training. The format, content and profile of the participants and speakers were further defined at this meeting. However, the means of financing the meeting remain to be fully determined.

2.9. 24 February 2000: Second Risk Preparedness meeting, UNESCO
The Secretary General and Programme Activities Officer alternately attended this meeting aimed at presenting and selecting programmes for world heritage under threat that could benefit from UNESCO support

2.10. 25 February 2000: Regular meeting of ICBS, at ICOMOS
The Secretary General attended this meeting.

2.11. 3-4 March 2000: Meeting for the publication on "One Hundred Missing Objects. Looting in Europe", at the ICOM Secretariat
Valérie Jullien, Jennifer Thévenot and Aurélien Gaborit attended this meeting of the scientific committee for this publication, with representatives from Hungary, the Czech Republic, France and Italy. Following a general introduction and background on the project, each country gave an update on its research and problems encountered, and everyone reviewed the photographic and textual documentation presented by each country which revealed an interesting variety. The group is extremely enthusiastic about the project, including Hungary whose representative had had initial problems obtaining information. The members of the scientific committee are now working in their countries on introductory texts and continuing their research for photos and documentation.


3. Publications

3.1. Distribution of "One Hundred Missing Objects. Looting in Latin America"
Fifty copies of the above publication were sent to the Chairperson of the Peruvian National Committee for distribution at the meeting held in Cuzco, Peru, on the illicit traffic of cultural property, in October 1999.

3.2. Proceedings of the MEPOA Workshop on Museum Outreach Activities, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 25-30 June 1999
Two versions, English and French, of the proceedings from this workshop were prepared and sent to all participants in the workshop, the funding institutions, the African National Committees, and other interested persons. They contain the workshop report, the participants' papers and recommendations for future activities on the theme of museum outreach activities.

3.3. Proceedings of the AFRICOM Constituent Assembly, Lusaka, Zambia, 3-9 October 1999
These Proceedings were produced in English and French. They were sent to all participants in the workshop, the funding institutions, all the African National Committees, the Ministries of Culture throughout Africa, and other interested persons. In addition to the speeches and participants' papers, they contain a General Report of the meeting, the workshop reports, and the AFRICOM Statutes and Programme of activities for the years 2000 and 2001.

3.4. The "ICOM Arab Museums Newsletter"
Issue No. 4 of the "ICOM Arab Museums Newsletter" was produced by the Tunisian National Committee of ICOM in the framework of ICOM's contract with The Rockefeller Foundation for support to ICOM's programme for the Arab countries. It was distributed to all ICOM members in the Arab states, as well as to participants in the Museum Management Workshop, held in Aswan, Egypt, from 19 to 24 April 2000.

3.5. Preparation of "One Hundred Missing Objects. Looting in Europe"
It has been decided to publish the fourth volume in the 100 Missing Objects series on religious objects looted in Europe, from both churches and museums. The volume will concentrate on 4 countries: France, Italy, Czech Republic and Hungary.
The Florence Gould Foundation has contributed most of the funds necessary for this publication and the French Ministry of Culture has contributed 40,000 French francs.

3.6. The ICOM Red List
Following the Workshop on the Protection of the African Cultural Heritage held in Amsterdam from 22 to 24 October 1987, at which the Red List of categories of African archaeological objects particularly at risk from looting was drawn up, funds were obtained from the Prince Claus Fund to publish a brochure to support the press campaign launched in this regard. The brochure is being distributed to the international press and other targeted persons and institutions world-wide.

4. Regional programmes

4.1. Africa

Although the autonomous International Organisation of African Museums (AFRICOM) has been created, and its headquarters have been established in Nairobi at the National Museums of Kenya, ICOM continues to provide assistance and support to the new AFRICOM Organisation, to help it to organise its meetings and distribute documents, and to ensure the management of its finances until it establishes its legal status and bank account.

Phase II of the MEPOA Programme on Museum Outreach Activities in Africa will be implemented during the second half of 2000, under contract with UNESCO. Discussions are underway with AFRICOM and UNESCO's Division of Cultural Heritage in this regard.

4.2. Europe

Mission to Yugoslavia: Upon the invitation of the Yugoslav National Committee of ICOM, Manus Brinkman and Jennifer Thévenot travelled to Belgrade and Novi Sad to meet with the members of the National Committee and to visit museums and heritage institutions in need of contacts and assistance.
It was observed that the Yugoslav National Committee is flourishing, now with 65 members, and it hopes to have 100 members by the end of the year.
The professionals themselves and the museums are suffering from the sanctions (more so in Belgrade than in Novi Sad which has local support), and there is a general lack of space and equipment. However, in spite of their problems, the young professionals revealed an impressive amount of knowledge and enthusiasm.

4.3. Arab Countries
The ICOM-Arab Regional Organisation will hold its next meeting in Aswan, Egypt, at the Nubia Museum, from 19 to 21 April 2000, at which time it will determine programme priorities for the coming years.
In conjunction with the above meeting, and in the framework of the programme funded by The Rockefeller Foundation for the Arab countries, a Workshop on Museum Management for Young Professionals from the Arabic-speaking countries will be held at the Nubia Museum from 19 to 24 April 2000. ICTOP and INTERCOM were consulted in the search for a trainer for this workshop. The content of the workshop will include administrative and collections management, as well as public management and new technologies. It is hoped to produce a handbook on museum management with material from this workshop.
Although discussions had begun with the Libyan Ambassador to UNESCO and the Libyan National Committee to hold this workshop in Libya, the available funding did not allow this. It is thus hoped that another activity can be organised in Libya in the near future.

Training Programme for the new Museum of Amman, Jordan: negotiations are underway between ICOM, the Jordanian Ministry of Culture, and the Japanese Government for the organisation of a training programme for the new Jordanian National Museum, on the model of the Nubia Museum Training Programme.

4.4. Latin America and the Caribbean

Workshop on Cultural Tourism, Lima, Peru and La Paz Bolivia, 21-26 May 2000.
In collaboration with the National Committees of Peru and Bolivia, preparations for this workshop are well under way. Yani Herreman has been designated Chief Coordinator for the workshop, and the Chairpersons of the Peruvian and Bolivian National Committees are ensuring the local organisation. Jennifer Thévenot travelled to these two countries from 26 to 31 March 2000 to meet with everyone
involved in the organisation of the workshop and to oversee the preparations.
The reflections of this workshop should result in guidelines for the promotion and protection of the cultural heritage in relation to issues linked to tourism. They will also result in a Declaration concerning Cultural Tourism in the Latin American Region and the adoption of the Cultural Tourism Charter covering movable cultural property as well as immovable property. The working groups should also identify training materials and methods for capacity building.
Distribution of the publication of "One Hundred Missing Objects. Looting in Latin America" continues.

4.5. Asia

When in Lusaka for the AFRICOM Constituent Assembly, the Secretary General and Programme Activities Officer had discussed a programme of activities for the Asia region with the President of ASPAC, Amareswar Galla,. These included, amongst others, a train-the-trainer programme and a cultural management seminar, a workshop focussing on partnerships for dealing with collections in foreign museums, an intensive professional development workshop on management and strategic planning, as well as capacity building activities. Although one of these activities was amongst the three initially selected by The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for funding, it was latter decided not to implement this project within the given timeframe. However, ICOM is still hoping to implement an important activity with outside funding before the end of 2000.
UNESCO has made US$ 10,000 available to ICOM to begin work on "One Hundred Missing Objects. Looting in Afghanistan". However, funds must be sought for its completion.


5. Implementation of the Triennial Programme 1999 - 2001

5.2. The Fight against Illicit Traffic

During the previous two triennial periods, the fight against illicit traffic has been one of the main priorities of the ICOM Programme, and the sector has developed numerous activities in this field. In order to bear fruit, these activities need a permanent follow-up which constitutes an important part of the sector's work. This includes follow up for the implementation of recommendations of the regional workshops, maintaining a continuous flow of information and collaboration with all partner institutions such as UNESCO, INTERPOL, national specialised police, the Council of Europe, etc... When an object is retrieved, ICOM is generally involved in the process for its restitution by facilitating contacts between the country's museums authority, the police and the lawyers. The communication policy on the subject, one of the most important aspect of the fight against illicit traffic, is permanently discussed and developed together with Communication Sector.
As a result of its actions, ICOM has become the reference organisation in this field, and the sector is constantly solicited and called upon to answer many requests in this respect.
In addition, new activities are being developed to cover new subjects or regions, and projects are being developed, in particular focusing on Europe with an issue of "One Hundred Missing Objects" and the discussions for a conference on illicit traffic.

5.3. Museums and Copyrights

Under objective No. 3 of its priorities for 1998-2001, the ICOM triennial programme stresses the need to "study ethical and legal issues relating to all relevant kinds of intellectual property rights, and current and recommended future museum practices in this regard". In order to implement this objective, the sector has initiated, with the support of the Information Centre and trainees, the collection of information on the subject. A draft report will be submitted to the Executive Council in June for discussion and further development.

5.4. The Ethics Committee

The sector also supports the work of the Ethics Committee in preparing its meetings, insuring a follow up and documenting its debates.


6. Activities under contract with UNESCO

6.1. Personnel Training for the Nubia Museum, Aswan, Egypt

The Chairperson of CECA, Graham Carter, ran the workshop on Museum Education and Interpretation, at the Nubia Museum, from 22 to 28 January 2000. This training course was the third to be run by ICOM under the auspices of UNESCO; The first two courses were on Basic Museology (led by Gary Edson) and Documentation (led by Leonard Will and Chédlia Annabi). The course was aimed at 22 members of the curatorial staff selected by the Director of the Museum. It contained a wide-ranging mixture of theoretical and practical activities spanning the entire subject area.
The last workshop in this in-situ series will be led by Stefan Michalski from Canada. ICOM-CC and ICCROM were consulted in the search for a trainer for this workshop. It will be a two-week workshop on theoretical and practical aspects of preventive conservation and will be held from 16 to 27 April 2000 at the Nubia Museum.

6.2. 25-30 June 1999 : ICOM/UNESCO Training Workshop on Outreach Museum Programmes in West and Southern Africa: Current and Future Perspectives, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe,

This workshop, considered as Phase I in the MEPOA programme established for this activity, addressed the issue of outreach museum programmes in Africa. Approximately 40 participants from African countries convened for 5 days to exchange and share ideas with the view to improving outreach museum education programmes in Africa, and to make recommendations regarding possibilities of carrying out these programmes in Africa.
The activity for phase II of this MEPOA programme is currently being discussed with UNESCO; it will be carried out by the end of the year under contract with UNESCO.

6.3. Framework agreement activities

During the meeting held with colleagues in the Division of Cultural Heritage, it was decided that ICOM could propose an alternative programme for the use of the funds granted in this framework. The Programme Sector is thus developing a project to assist museums in Central Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific to make use of new technologies and to meet the challenge of a market economy.
In addition to activities under contract the Programme Sector also provides advice and suggestions following requests from UNESCO for consultants and experts. It also receives and advises delegations from UNESCO Member States upon request from Permanent Delegations to UNESCO.

1. Recruitment of the new Assistant Editor

The Services of publications and communications was brought together . The Service is now managed by Valérie Jullien. Caroline Bouché-Taylor who was recruited to replace Laura Gutman left ICOM after her trial period. Saskia Brown who was recruited as assistant editor, is in particular in charge with the publications.

2. ICOM News

Valérie Jullien has been responsible for ICOM News since No. 3/1999, and has worked with Saskia Bown.
The Service's first objective was to attempt to absorb the backlog of work for the publication of ICOM News.