Chen Xiaochun

654789759@qq.com

A thematic session on ethical standards for museum professionals was held yesterday at Wuzhou Guest House and speakers such as Alberto Garlandini, vice president of International Council of Museums (ICOM) and Jan Mattsson, director of U.N. Live Museum, were present discussing different aspects of the issue.

Garlandini, as the first speaker, talked about the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, its descriptive force and impact after the UNESCO recommendation as well as the Italian’s experience.

“The respect of the ICOM Code is a binding commitment for ICOM members. A member’s infringement of its principle will terminate his or her membership status,” said Garlandini.

“As a soft law, the ICOM Code has great moral value recognized not only by ICOM members but also by many public and private bodies,” said Garlandini, explaining that a “soft law” is a provision, which does not have any legal force but sets standards of conduct that are universally accepted.

The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums is the cornerstone of the ICOM. It sets minimum standards of professional practice and performance for museums and their staff. In joining the organization, ICOM members undertake to abide by this code.

Garlandini added that in some countries, such as Italy, the ICOM Code has a legal prescriptive force.

Mattsson, on the other hand, listed out several challenges facing the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums.

The challenges Mattsson mentioned are as follows: urban dynamic development versus sustainability, visitor attendance growth versus visitor attendance limits, visitor comfort versus monuments and objects care, comfort of mobility versus monument structure and wild nature, open education versus sensitive content and sore points, amusement versus rules of science, as well as freedom of access versus security of visitors, museum’s staff, culture and nature and heritage.

“On one side, visitor attendance growth is economically good for museums. On the other side, visitor attendance limits must be down because if not, nobody wants to continue because there is no pleasure anymore. So where is the balance point?” said Mattsson.

“Amusement versus rules of science, should museums be open and funny and full of pleasure or should we concentrate on research methods?” said Mattsson, adding that she doesn’t know all 0the answers to these questions.

Editor: Jane Chen