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;
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.