Appeal to Assist the National Museum of Afghanistan

APPEAL TO ASSIST THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFGHANISTAN

The 7th General Assembly of ICOM-ASPAC, convened at the Shanghai Museum on Thursday, October 24, 2002 ;

Having been informed about the current dramatic situation of the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul ;

Having been informed that the short term needs of this museum are:

• to rehabilitate the current building
• to train the staff
• to receive essential resources; and the long term needs are
• to move the museum to a new location
• to develop a protection mechanism for Afghanistan's cultural heritage
• to develop a mechanism for the repatriation of stolen collections
• to establish a sustainable training scheme for cultural heritage professionals ;

Urges ICOM to actively support the National Museum of Afghanistan in its efforts to address those needs and in securing the necessary support.

The 7th Regional Assembly of the Asia Pacific Organization, International Council of Museum, notes with great pleasure the interest expressed by many countries to rehabilitate the National Museum in Kabul, Afghanistan.

However, the Assembly notes with distress that essential pledges made by governments have not yet been honoured. The National Museum can still not function at a basic level. This is a dramatic situation with the winter rapidly approaching.

Hence, the Assembly urges all governments that have made those pledges to honour them as soon as possible.