ICOM Africa

ICOM Africa
Name	ICOM Africa
Formation	1980s
Type	Regional committee
Headquarters	Nairobi
Region served	Africa
Parent organization	International Council of Museums

ICOM Africa is the regional committee of the International Council of Museums dedicated to museums and cultural heritage institutions across Africa. It connects museum professionals from regions including North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa while liaising with global bodies such as the UNESCO, the United Nations, and the African Union. The committee engages with major museums, archives, and heritage sites like the Egyptian Museum, Iziko South African Museum, Nairobi National Museum, National Museum of Ethiopia, and Museum of Moroccan Arts.

History

Founded in the late 20th century amid broader heritage movements including initiatives by UNESCO and policy shifts in postcolonial states, ICOM Africa emerged alongside institutions such as the British Museum, Musée du Louvre, Smithsonian Institution, and the Museo Nacional de Antropología to address African museum priorities. Early collaborations involved national museums like the National Museum of Kenya and the South African Museum and partnerships with organizations such as the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the Ford Foundation. Influential figures from institutions including the Royal Museum for Central Africa, the Institut National des Patrimoines, the National Museums Liverpool, and the German Archaeological Institute contributed to capacity building, repatriation debates, and exhibitions addressing colonial legacies linked to collections in the Musée du Quai Branly, Rijksmuseum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the British Library.

Organization and Governance

Governance structures mirror those of the International Council of Museums with elected committees and regional representatives drawn from institutions such as the National Museums of Zimbabwe, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, the National Museum of Somalia, the Benin National Museum, and the Museo de la Música. Leadership interacts with policymakers from the African Union Commission, legal experts from the International Criminal Court, and cultural ministers from countries like Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt. Internal governance includes advisory boards composed of curators from the Pergamon Museum, conservators from the Getty Conservation Institute, educators from the Tate Modern, and researchers from universities such as University of Pretoria, Makerere University, University of Cape Town, Cairo University, and University of Lagos.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs address museum training, conservation, accession policy, and restitution dialogues with support from institutions like the Getty Foundation, the Prince Claus Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum Association. Initiatives include professional development with partners such as the International Council on Monuments and Sites, community outreach modeled after projects at the Apartheid Museum, digitization efforts similar to those at the British Library, and exhibitions in collaboration with the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Museo del Prado, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Projects focus on collections care in contexts represented by the Kenya National Archives, the National Archives of Tanzania, and the National Library of South Africa, as well as legal frameworks informed by the UNIDROIT Convention and the 1970 UNESCO Convention.

Conferences and Events

Annual conferences and regional meetings bring together delegates from institutions like the International Council on Archives, the World Monuments Fund, the ICOMOS, and the European Museum Forum. Past venues have included major sites such as the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the Cairo International Convention Center, and the Kigali Convention Centre, drawing speakers from the Smithsonian Institution, Museo Nacional de Antropología (Mexico), the Museum of Liverpool, the National Portrait Gallery (London), and university departments from Harvard University, University of Oxford, Sorbonne University, and Leiden University.

Membership and Network

Membership spans national museum authorities like the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, private institutions such as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, university museums like the University of Nigeria Museum, and community museums exemplified by the District Six Museum. Members include curators from the National Museum of Mali, directors from the Museum of Ethiopian Art, conservators trained at the Courtauld Institute of Art, and archivists from the National Archives of Ghana. The network engages regional associations like the Association of African Museums and international networks including the Global Museums Network, European Network of Cultural Centres, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations extend to multilateral bodies including the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the African Union, UNDP, and bilateral cultural programs with embassies such as the Embassy of France in Nigeria, the British Council, and the Goethe-Institut. Academic partnerships involve institutions such as Oxford University, University College London, Columbia University, University of Cambridge, and McGill University. Conservation and repatriation work has involved the Restitution Working Group, the Sarr-Savoy Commission framework discourse, museums like the Rijksmuseum and Musée du quai Branly, and legal scholars from the Max Planck Institute.

Impact and Challenges

ICOM Africa has influenced policy dialogues on restitution, conservation, and museum professionalization, reflected in cooperative projects with the Getty Foundation, Prince Claus Fund, and policy platforms at the African Union Heads of State Summit. Impacts include improved exhibition standards modeled after the Victoria and Albert Museum and digital cataloging inspired by the Europeana initiative. Challenges persist in funding tied to agencies like the World Bank, legal disputes involving objects in collections at the British Museum and Musée du Louvre, capacity gaps in conflict-affected zones such as Mali and Somalia, and risks to heritage from illicit trafficking networks linked to routes examined by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Category:Museology