marți, noiembrie 13, 2012

Join Statement Ministerial Conference "Museums in South East Europe - Status, Management and Partnerships" Skopje, 13 November 2012

JOINT STATEMENT
Ministerial Conference "Museums in South East Europe - Status, Management and Partnerships" Skopje, 13 November 2012
The Ministers of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) responsible for culture, the RCC Secretary General, representatives of regional and international organizations and other stakeholders met in Skopje on 13 November 2012.
The Conference marks the initiative aiming to reflect on the current status of the museums, as preservers of culture and its heritage, their models of management, existing partnerships as well as on perspectives for their further development.
Ministers recall that every society in the region has, within its fundamental goals, the respect for cultural diversity, traditions and customs and devotion to principles of non-discrimination and tolerance. Preserving and further improving multi-cultural relations is of particular importance for the entire region and, in particularly for the Western Balkans in their efforts towards EU accession.
In order to fulfil the set goals, the regional stakeholders need to be oriented towards new and innovative modalities of cooperation and to ensure that the cultural sector reaps benefits from human capital and technological advances.
This means finding new management models for museums, expanding the traditional role of cultural institutions in providing access to cultural contents with the aim to preserve it for future generations.
SEECP Ministers of Culture acknowledge the crucial role museums have in collecting, preserving and exhibiting special objects, collections and other resources, based on scientific research and following professional standards. They also recognise strong educational, social and economic dimension of the museums work, making them significant fora in transmitting the knowledge for the benefits of their communities.
Bearing in mind the current cutbacks from government and general social changes, Ministers recommend that museums in the region should look to form alliances with the broader community, in order to find a new balance between private initiatives and public authorities.
Furthermore, for the purpose of enhancing the mutual cooperation, improving the understanding of cultural values and cultural heritage among countries and peoples of South East Europe, SEECP Ministers of Culture agree to develop SEE Museums Network, aiming to foster cross-border cooperation between cultural institutions and operators in the following segments:
>    Management - exchange of the most efficient management models among the museums; organisation of trainings in the field of museums management;
>    Expert Staff Exchange - enabling access to museum
resources, in compliance with the national regulations
and international conventions; organising regional
expert seminars and trainings aiming also to develop multidisciplinary research projects;
>    Collection - experience exchange in the given field is crucial for the national institutions involved in museum activity, including exhibition exchange and exchange of museum artefacts;
>    Cultural Heritage Protection - establishment of cooperation between conservation & restoration laboratories in the Museums; exchange of information about the cultural heritage status and prevention of illicit trafficking of cultural goods of movable cultural heritage, in accordance with national legislations and international conventions; organisation of study visits, science conferences, advisory services and workshops discussing the cultural heritage protection;
>    Implementation of ICT and Museum Documentation Digitalisation - encourage the experience exchange in the application of ICT in the movable cultural heritage protection;
>    Cultural Heritage Presentation - for the purpose of enhanced understanding of the cultural heritage and cultural values of various countries and peoples, the Museums should organise exhibition projects and implement cultural activities of a different nature. These exhibitions and activities should present the various and common substance of the rich cultural & historical heritage in the region;
>    Museum Education - development of visitor education programmes coming from various target groups, exchanging of best practice models, organizing of trainings in the field of museum education with emphasis on the young people.
In recognition of the need to foster regional synergy in the field of cultural and natural heritage, the Ministers responsible for culture from the South East Europe, the RCC Secretary General and all stakeholders agree that Museums shall, in mutual cooperation, draft projects in the area of cultural heritage protection and shall apply to both national and international donors to secure the funds for their implementation.
The Regional Cooperation Council and its Task Force on Culture and Society will continue to facilitate the activities on development of the SEE Museums Network in close cooperation with the EU and other national and international partners.