UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

Transcription

1 UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NUBIA MUSEUM IN ASWAN AND THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION IN CAIRO SEVENTEENTH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Cairo, June 2009 FINAL REPORT 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) Report of the Egyptian Authorities Report of the UNESCO Secretariat Discussion NMEC Site Visit Tour of Mo-az El Din Street Discussion The Nubia Museum Report of the Egyptian authorities Report of the Sudanese Representative Report of the UNESCO Report of the UNESCO Cairo Office Discussion Closing Session Meeting with the NMEC Scientific Committee 18 Annex 1: Recommendations 19 Annex 2: List of Participants 30 2

3 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The 17 th Session of the Executive Committee of the International Campaign for the Establishment of the Nubia Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo was held in Cairo from 10 to 12 June The representatives of thirteen countries (Belgium, Canada, Congo, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Lithuania, Peru, Sudan, Switzerland) elected by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 34 th Session, participated in the meeting. Representatives from the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), and the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) attended the meeting as observers. The representatives of the Member States Djibouti and the Czech Republic could not attend. The observing bodies of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) also could not attend (see Annex 1: List of participants). 1.3 Dr Z. Hawass, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Vice- Chairman of the Executive Committee, warmly welcomed the meeting participants and thanked them for their participation in the above meeting. He gave a brief outlook of the situation of museums in Egypt and stressed that the approach towards museums had changed in Egypt in the past years, considering the museum as a place where learning and education play a major role. He then provided an update of the projects under the International Campaign, namely the NMEC and the Nubia Museum, noting that a lot of progress had been made but that there were still many issues to be solved. With regards to NMEC, Dr Hawass noted that phase I of the construction of the building would be complete in September This phase would be followed by phase II, which included the technical infrastructure and fit-out of the conservation laboratories. He also noted that the Governorate of Cairo had agreed to help to expand the landscape surrounding the Museum. 1.4 Dr Hawass emphasized the importance of revising the scenario and building with the support of UNESCO expertise, to ensure that the artifacts selected by the NMEC Scientific Committee were adequate to tell the story of Egyptian civilization in a global context. He further stressed the importance of making this museum special, especially with regards to its educational offerings. In addition, the NMEC should also complement the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) project. 1.5 He further noted the progress that was being made on the development of the display cases for the Royal Mummies, which was being led by the Getty Institute. 20 Royal Mummies had now been chosen for the Museum. 1.6 As one of the main priorities for NMEC, he emphasized the importance of a training programme for NMEC staff, taking into account the need for practical and theoretical training in all areas of museum management, as well training pre- and post-opening of the NMEC. He also noted the long-term aspiration to set up a School of Museology in Egypt. 1.7 Dr Hawass also noted that the Minister of Culture, H.E. Farouk Hosni, would meet a potential new Director for NMEC next week. This person had an education from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, as well as 10 years of work experience in the Giza Plateau. 3

4 1.8 With regards to the database, he expressed his satisfaction with the selection of a collections management system for NMEC and asked the Committee to support NMEC s request for UNESCO s financing of the maintenance fee of the database for 3-5 years, as well as the required work stations to operate the database. 1.9 He also noted that funds should be designated from the Special Account for NMEC for the collections of intangible heritage elements for the Museum, as well as for UNESCO s provision of Technical Assistance in areas such as landscape architecture, project management, and other areas In addition to support for training, Dr Hawass requested for the Committee to support NMEC in setting aside funds for promotional activities, such as two pre-opening events and a publication in English and Arabic, as well as a website and promotional toolkit With regards to Nubia, Dr Hawass congratulated the UNESCO Cairo Office for its organization of the conference Lower Nubia: Revisiting Memories of the Past, Envisaging Perspectives for the Future, which took place in Aswan, of March 2009 to mark the 50 th Anniversary of the Salvage for the Monuments of Nubia. During this event, the salvage of the Qasr Ibrim site in Nubia was suggested. The site, if not rescued now, would eventually drown in the Nile Regarding the Nubia Museum, Dr Hawass asked the Committee to support the request of the Museum for the training of staff in using the equipment of the conservation laboratories, as well as the completion of an evaluation into the needs of the Museum s exhibition. In addition, he stressed the need for the Nubia Museum to obtain a database with web-publishing capability to enable it to provide public access to its scanned documents and maps He also stressed the importance to continue supporting the staff members of the Nubia Museum through training in English language courses, and IT courses to complement their existing skills As the two most important points he stressed the need to focus on staff training for museum professionals in Egypt and build professional capacities. He also stressed the need to ensure that the interior design of NMEC be planned so as to differentiate it from the Grand Egyptian Museum. While the Grand Egyptian Museum holds collections such as the treasures of Tutankhamun, Thanis and others, it is the NMEC which tells the stories of Egyptian civilization. To tell this story effectively, the right artifacts would need to be selected for NMEC Dr Hawass concluded his speech by wishing the participants all the best for a fruitful meeting, and hoped that participants would enjoy the planned dinner at the invitation of H.E. Farouk Hosni and the tour around the historic Mo oz Street. He then gave the floor to Mr Christian Manhart, Chief of the Section for Museums and Cultural Objects, UNESCO On behalf of the Director-General, Mr Manhart welcomed the participants to the opening session of the Executive Committee. He particularly thanked the Egyptian authorities represented by Dr Z. Hawass, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Eng. M. Abu Saida, Director of the Nubia Trust Fund, and Ms Sally Halawa, Project Coordinator, NMEC, for hosting the meeting in Cairo. He warmly welcomed the participants of the 13 Member States of the Committee, and the two observers represented by IFLA and ICCROM. He then introduced Ms Vanessa Kredler as the new UNESCO staff 4

5 member responsible for the work carried out by the Secretariat of the Executive Committee, emphasizing Ms Kredler s past experience in Egypt, notably with the Grand Egyptian Museum project Mr Manhart expressed his strong agreement with Dr Hawass regarding the need to give priority to training and capacity building, as museums play an important role as vectors for national identity, sustainable development and have great potential in the facilitation of post-conflict reconciliation Mr Manhart then provided an update of the activities carried out under the International Campaign since the 16 th Session of the Executive Committee, which took place in Cairo and Aswan in December With regards to NMEC, technical assistance had been provided to the Egyptian authorities, for example in the development of an organizational chart, the museological programme, the layout and equipment of Conservation Workshops and Photographic Laboratories, the display scenario for the Royal Mummies display, security and landscape architecture. In the area of capacity building, the Secretariat, with support from the Cairo Office, had organized several short-term training courses for NMEC staff. In addition, several consultations have been held to advance a longer-term training programme in museology. In terms of international cooperation and promotion, several study visits to Paris, London and Sweden and New York had been organized for NMEC staff. Several promotional activities have been carried out, including the exhibition stand on NMEC at the Grand Palais in With regards to the Nubia Museum, Mr Manhart explained that despite the decision of the Executive Committee in its 15 th and 16 th Session to phase out activities for the Nubia Museum, some of the activities were still ongoing and were being completed by the UNESCO Cairo Office. He noted that especially with regards to the storage furniture delivered to the Nubia Museum based on the Committee s past recommendation, was not suitable and would need to be replaced With regards to Sudan, Mr Manhart noted that UNESCO had provided assistance with the repair of the shelters for the Nubian Temples at the National Museum of Sudan. A one-month training course in metal conservation had also been organized for the staff of the museum, and equipment had been purchased to be used during and after the training course Mr Manhart also provided financial information with regards to the International Campaign and the Special Account for Egypt. He explained that the Campaign Fund contained US$198,000 available for allocation. In addition, he noted that the Special Account for Egypt, which was not being administered by the Executive Committee, but was a multi-donor account, contained approximately US$10 million. He further explained that based on the agreement with the Egyptian authorities, four main lines of action had been agreed for the use of the funds. Following this, UNESCO s financial department has divided the account into four sub-accounts corresponding to these four main lines of action, namely, 1.) Assistance for the completion of National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, 2.) Capacity-building in the field of museum studies in Egypt, 3.) Feasibility study for the establishment of an underwater museum in Alexandria, 4.) Development of the management plans for the World Heritage sites of Historic Cairo and Memphis Mr Manhart then wished the participants a fruitful meeting, and called for proposals for the election of a new Chairman of the Committee. 5

6 1.24 The representative of Switzerland, Dr Valloggia, proposed the reelection of the current Chairman, Dr Vatandoust, who represents the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dr Vatandoust knew the project and the process of the Committee meetings very well, and would thus be most suitable to act as Chairman. Dr Valloggia s proposal was accepted unanimously Dr Vatandoust took the floor and expressed his honour at having been reelected as Chairman. He welcomed all participants to the Session and stressed the need for the Committee to make fruitful recommendations to help the Egyptian authorities and the Secretariat with their important mandate Mr François Tremblay, representative of Canada, and Head of Exhibitions at the Civilization Museum in Quebec, was elected Rapporteur The agenda was adopted as follows: i. Opening of the session ii. Adoption of the agenda iii. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (a) Report by the Egyptian authorities (b) Report of Secretariat (c) Discussion and decision of the follow up of activity (d) NMEC Site Visit (Note: This was suggested by a Committee member subsequent to the adoption of the agenda, however, has been included here) iv. The Nubia Museum (a) Report by the Egyptian authorities (b) Report of Secretariat and the UNESCO Cairo Office (c) Discussion and decision of the follow up of activity v. Discussion and recommendations 6

7 2.0 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION IN CAIRO 2.1 REPORT OF THE EGYPTIAN AUTHORITIES The report of the Egyptian authorities was delivered by Eng. Abu Saeda, Head of the Nubia Fund. Eng. Abu Saeda commenced by welcoming all participants, with special mention to the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsura, the Minister of Culture of Egypt, Madame Françoise Rivière, H.E. Farouk Hosni, the Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Dr Zahi Hawass, and the Chief of Section of Museums and Cultural Objects, UNESCO, Mr Christian Manhart as well as Mr Tarek Shawki, the new Director of the UNESCO Cairo Office Eng Abu Saeda provided an introduction to the activities carried out by the Egyptian authorities between 2007 and He described the progress of the landscaping work and circulation routes, the interior design brief and noted that Phase II of the museum construction will begin in September He also noted that approximately 40 staff members have been employed in the areas of collections care, documentation, conservation and exhibition design, and that a more detailed staffing model was being developed with UNESCO consultants With regards to the selection of ethnographic and contemporary artifacts, Eng Abu Saeda explained that a Committee has been formed to begin with the selection. A database had also now been selected through an open international tender by UNESCO, and the implementation was planned for autumn With regards to partnerships and promotion, Eng Abu Saeda explained that several networks had been formed with other museums, including the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, the Quebec Civilization Museum, as well as the British Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute. Terms of reference for a new museum website have also been developed. However, assistance is requested from UNESCO to advance this work Eng Abu Saeda made several request for assistance from UNESCO, which he wished the Committee to discuss during the meeting, which had also been stressed by Dr Hawass in his opening speech. The priority activities for which he requested assistance were the provision of funds for the collection of contemporary artifacts, support from UNESCO to finance the maintenance cost of the selected database, and the development of promotional material A short documentary film was shown, which featured the development of the project from 1979 to the present day. Eng Abu Saeda noted that the project would be completed in Professor Nadim, Director of the Egyptian Crafts Centre, also noted the importance for UNESCO to support NMEC s collection of contemporary artifacts and to make funds available for this purpose. (Note: This comment was made on the second day of the meeting, but has been included here for easy reference). 2.2 REPORT OF THE UNESCO SECRETARIAT The report of the Secretariat was delivered by Vanessa Kredler. Ms Kredler noted that technical assistance had been provided to NMEC in several areas, including in the development of the organizational chart, the revision of the museological prgoramme, 7

8 the development for a process of transporting, assessing, treating and storing the collections, as well as in the establishment of equipment lists for the conservation and photographic workshops. Regarding the Royal Mummies, Ms Kredler explained that comments had already been provided by the Quebec Civilization Museum, and that a visit by British Museum staff would take place in October 2009 to provide further advice on the transport of the Mummies. Ms Kredler summarized the outcomes of several security and fire missions which had been dispatched to NMEC, which provided recommendations on the development of a security strategy and emphasized the need for security training. She also noted that the landscape architect who had been sent to visit NMEC in 2008 had reported concerns about the lack of shading on the main entrance courtyard of NMEC Regarding capacity building, UNESCO had organized several short-term training programmes for NMEC staff, including a training course in conservation which was organized by the Greek Permanent Delegation to UNESCO. In addition, UNESCO continues to support the NMEC project coordinator in completing a distance by learning course in Museum Studies. A training programme for contemporary and ancient Egyptian history and archaeology was organized by the UNESCO Cairo Office Regarding long-term capacity building efforts, Ms Kredler explained that a comprehensive training programme in all areas of museum management was a high priority, and that several consultations with training experts had already taken place. An open international tender would be launched by UNESCO to ensure the selection of the best possible training provider With regards to documentation, the Secretariat noted that the collections management software KE Emu had now been selected for NMEC. The system was selected for its ability to show an English-Arabic thesaurus, and also because it is also being used by the Egyptian Museum, thus creating opportunities for synergies. The first version of the database will be implemented in autumn In addition, NMEC staff had visited intangible heritage documentation centres in Paris and Sweden during study visits organized by UNESCO to learn about best practice in recording and interpreting intangible heritage Regarding partnership and promotion, UNESCO reported that the exhibition stand, model and leaflets produced in Paris for the exhibition Trésors engloutis d Egypte (8 December 2006 to 16 March 2007), which took place at the Grand Palais in Paris, had now been sent to Egypt. In addition, UNESCO had organized several study visits to museums in Paris, London, Goeteburg, New York and Washington, to enable NMEC staff to build partnerships and learn about current trends in museology. A proposal for a meeting of civilizations museums had also been developed. However, it had been agreed with the Egyptian authorities that the meeting should be held closer to the opening of NMEC. Similarly, a promotional publication in English and Arabic would be produced closer to the museum opening. The website for NMEC had also been updated. 2.3 DISCUSSION The Chairman thanked the Secretariat and the Egyptian authorities for their presentations and opened the floor for discussion. The Executive Committee unanimously congratulated the Egyptian authorities and Secretariat for the work achieved in the past year. 8

9 Sustainability of Technical Assistance Mr Chotoku, representative of Japan, expressed his gratitude for the many concrete and tangible results that had been achieved but also stressed the importance of a clear timeline up until the opening of the museum in He stressed that a timeline and clear objectives should be set up for each activity to optimize the outcome of activities such as expert missions, study visits, particularly noting that as many as three security missions had been dispatched by UNESCO in the past 2 years. This would ensure the maximum effectiveness of UNESCO s support to NMEC Mr Manhart from the Secretariat responded that while the timeline for NMEC s opening was initially set at 2009, UNESCO s priorities were not for NMEC to open as soon as possible, but also to put an emphasis on quality and proper execution of the many tasks to be completed Ms Halawa, NMEC Project Coordinator, added that the numerous missions organized by UNESCO in relation to security had been crucial in the recent stages of development of NMEC. The development of security and fire prevention strategies is a priority for NMEC to ensure that security staff can be trained and artifacts can be moved into the building safely. South-South Cooperation The representative of Peru, Mr Bustamante, raised the subject of South-South cooperation, and requested that the countries who are members of the Executive Committee, be invited to events such as the meeting of museums of civilizations. Peru, for example, shared with Egypt one of the oldest civilizations. He also asked how South-South cooperation could take place as part of the envisaged training programmes for NMEC The Secretariat responded that indeed institutions from the member states of the Committee would be invited, and encouraged Mr Bustamante to suggest particular institutions. In addition, the Secretariat explained that the training programme envisaged for NMEC staff, would be a modular programme. Thus, it would be possible to invite participants from other countries to take part in specialist modules, depending on their training needs The Permanent Delegate of Egypt, Dr El Zahaby reiterated the opportunity for UNESCO to share the experience of the International Campaign with different countries and connect to other programmes and projects. The assistance of bodies such as ICOMOS could help in this respect Dr Abdel Meguid, Director of the Nubia Museum emphasized that in fact, South-South cooperation was already taking place. The Nubia Museum, for example, was designed and built by the famous Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez. This represented a symbolic connection between the Maya and Ancient Egyptian cultures. Training Dr El Zahaby proposed the establishment of a UNESCO Category II Regional Training Centre in Egypt to enhance cooperation in the field of museology. This was in line with long-term capacity building aspirations in the field of museology for Egypt. If this proposal was accepted by the Committee, a recommendation should be passed during the 17 th Session to enable UNESCO to carry out a feasibility study and submit 9

10 the proposal to the Executive Board for approval. The proposal, however, would not be assessed until Mr Gael de Guichen, representative of ICCROM, acknowledged this proposal. However, he emphasized the need to prioritize the immediate needs of NMEC staff. Employment of Staff Mr de Guichen also asked about the current number of staff members employed at NMEC, and what their responsibilities were Eng Abu Saeda, Head of the Nubia Fund, explained that 40 staff members had been employed with the specializations of conservation, restoration, and collections management Mr de Guichen asked the Secretariat to comment on the final number of staff that would be required to operate the museum. The Secretariat explained that this number of staff could not be identified without a more detailed operational plan, which determines how the museum should function. For example, NMEC would need to determine which services would be provided in-house and which would be outsourced. This was especially important with regards to security, cleaning, engineering, but also other areas, such as exhibition design and graphics production. An operational plan would be needed to further develop the staffing model of NMEC. Artifacts and Storyline Mr de Guichen posed the question of what types of artifacts would be displayed at NMEC, and what the current stage in the selection process was. This question was complemented by Dr Ziegler, representative of France, who wished clarification on the exhibition scenario of the museum Eng Abu Saeda explained that 16,000 objects had already been chosen by the Scientific Committee. However, as the storage areas in the NMEC would not be complete until the end of Phase II of construction, which entailed the fit-out of laboratories and storage areas, they were currently housed at a temporary storage area in El Fustat. He also noted that the exhibition designers wished to increase the artifacts on show, and that the selection of pieces was ongoing. He noted that a meeting with the Scientific Committee would be set up to enable to meeting participants to gain a better understanding of the museological programme and collections of NMEC Dr Ismail, Conservator and Consultant for NMEC added that 20 conservators were currently working in the temporary storage area in El Fustat. These staff members had participated in a 6-month training course provided by Italy Ms Halawa, NMEC Project Coordinator, explained that the scenario had been developed with the Scientific Committee in the past four years and that the process was ongoing due to the complexity of needing to incorporate the whole spectrum of civilizations of Egypt spanning across a vast amount of time. The selection of artifacts takes place in parallel to the development of the museological programme, thus ensuring that for each theme core objects, as well as key pieces are selected Ms Halawa also explained that while the museological programme had been developed scientifically by the Scientific Committee, NMEC would require more assistance with the exhibition scenario, which forms the visitor experience. For 10

11 example, how can a story be told using means other than artifacts? How can graphics and interactives be used to interpret the storyline? This would be the next step in developing the exhibition scenario The representative of Belgium, Dr Luc Limme agreed that the development of museum exhibition scenarios was always a complex process which required several iterations. He requested that the Executive Committee be provided with an outline of the NMEC museological programme in order to gain a better understanding of the museum, Ms Halawa confirmed that a brief summary would be provided to the Committee on the second day of the meeting. 2.4 NMEC SITE VISIT The team undertook a site visit with the objective of viewing the progress in the construction of the building. The team was given a tour by the architect, Dr Kusseibi, who explained in detail all components of the building and the phases of its construction. 2.5 TOUR OF MO AZ EL DIN STREET In the evening the participants were invited by the Egyptian authorities to visit the newly restored and pedestrianized Mo Az El Din Street in Islamic Cairo and enjoyed a dinner generously offered by the Egyptian authorities. Thursday, 11 June DISCUSSION ABOUT NMEC The Chairman opened the session and thanked H.E. Farouk Hosni and Dr Hawass for the official dinner and tour of Mo Az El Din Street and asked the Committee to reflect on the NMEC site visit. Landscaping Professor Makhzoumi, representative of IFLA, commented on the complexity of the site with regards to landscaping, as the site is a landfill site and has many different levels. She noted that with regards to the entrance plaza, there could be scope for a softscape intervention, such as the planting of a canopy of high palm trees, so as to strike a balance between the architect s wish to keep the vista to the building, and the need to provide shading for arriving visitors. Regarding the lake, she stressed the opportunity for celebrating cultural and natural diversity of Egypt The architect, Dr Kusseibi, expressed agreement with Professor Makhzoumi s comments about the challenges of the site due to its multiple levels. He agreed to take into consideration her suggestions to provide more shading on the plaza, possibly using temporary tent-like structures at visitor drop-off points but without impeding the full view of the building. He also emphasized that only 10% of visitors would arrive from here, as most visitors would arrive in coaches or via other transport and thus would enter the building from the car park area, which can accommodate 3500 vehicles. He noted that the museum was designed to a carrying capacity of visitors. Employment of Staff and Promotion 11

12 2.6.4 Professor Valloggia, the representative of Switzerland, congratulated Egypt on the progress of the construction, and the choice and quality of building materials. But he also stressed the need to begin with the employment of staff as well as the production of promotional material and visitor guides to be prepared for the museum s opening The Secretariat noted that staff training and recruitment should be the absolute priority in the coming phase of the project. 3.0 THE NUBIA MUSEUM 3.1 REPORT OF THE EGYPTIAN AUTHORITIES The Director of the Nubia Museum, Dr Abdel Meguid, provided an update on the activities undertaken in favour of the Nubia Museum. Regarding the CD-Rom s and DVD s, two CD s and DVD s had been produced, which comprise the historical background, photo galleries, videos and panoramic virtual tours of Kalabasha, Philae and Abu Simbel. The DVD includes a film on ancient Nubia as well as a film on UNESCO activities and the appeal of the general conference for the safeguarding of the temples With regards to the documentation centre of Nubian studies, Dr Abdel Meguid, explained that a senior documentation officer and three supporting personnel had been engaged. In addition, he announced that the centre would be opened to the public in 2009, and that the digitization of documents was underway Dr Abdel Meguid also noted that the terms of reference for the update of the museum s website were completed and that a tender was launched to find a web designer to carry out the work A scanner, plotter and laptop had also been purchased for the documentation centre to digitize large maps and fragile documents Dr Abdel Meguid explained that two activities had not yet been finalized and required further follow-up, namely the conservation laboratories and the documentation centre Regarding the conservation laboratories, Dr Abdel Meguid explained that it had been decided in a previous session of the Executive Committee that the Nubia Museum would serve as a Regional Research and Training Centre in conservation and museology in the Middle East and Africa region. It was agreed that the centre would require trained personnel and advanced conservation equipment, and that international support would be provided to the centre for the delivery of training for museum staff in the region However, this idea was not followed up in a satisfactory manner, and only ad-hoc support was provided. In 1993, for example, UNESCO provided a 6-month training course for senior conservation staff of the Nubia Museum through ICOM. But the staff member left the museum after the training. A variety of sophisticated equipment conservation equipment was purchased by UNESCO before the opening of the museum in 1997, and between 1998 and 2001 several short-term training courses were provided through ICOM. In 2005, UNESCO organized a three-week training course for the museum staff and two Sudanese museum professionals This ad-hoc approach has meant that the Nubia Museum has not been able to fully realize the concept of establishing a Regional Research and Training Centre, as 12

13 trained staff have left the museum and the equipment cannot be used by the remaining staff. Dr Abdel Meguid appealed to the Committee to reevaluate the current state of the laboratories and recommended that UNESCO support the rehabilitation of the machines and the development of a strategy for their maintenance, as well as to provide training to staff in the use of the equipment Regarding the documentation centre, Dr Abdel Meguid explained that the collection of historic documents and maps relating to Nubia is still ongoing. However, the storage furniture for these documents, which had been procured by UNESCO, was not suitable for the adequate storage of the documents and was not accepted by the Nubia Museum In addition to a reassessment of the furniture, Dr Abdel Meguid requested further support in the digitization of the documents by way of procuring a web-based database so that public access to the digitized collections could be provided. 3.2 REPORT OF THE SUDANESE REPRESENTATIVE Dr Abdelrahman Ali Mohamed, the representative of Sudan and Director of the National Museum of Sudan, provided a summary of the activities undertaken in Sudan. He began by thanking the Egyptian authorities and UNESCO for their cooperation in the conservation of the cultural heritage of Sudan, and thanked especially the UNESCO Cairo Office for being instrumental in the establishment of the Memorandum of Understanding which had been established between Egypt and Sudan in He explained that this Memorandum of Understanding had enabled the collaboration with the Nubia Museum in the establishment of the Wadi Halfa Museum, for which the site had now been selected with the local authorities Dr Abdelrahman Ali Mohamed then emphasized that there was a need to further stabilize the five Nubian temples, which were on the site of the National Museum of Sudan. While UNESCO had provided support for the rehabilitation of the temporary shelters housing these temples, some of the glass windows were broken and causing the temples to disintegrate In addition, he stressed that there was a need to improve the condition of the collection of the National Museum of Sudan. He noted that approximately 60,000 objects needed immediate attention, and that storage conditions needed to be improved to increase the longevity of the objects. The conservation of the textile collection was particularly important It was also necessary to provide capacity building and training to museum staff, as well as to reinforce the security measures of the museum In addition, there was a need to continue with the digitization of the collections, of which 20,000 objects had already been digitized. 3.3 REPORT OF THE SECRETARIAT The Secretariat report was delivered by Mr Manhart, who explained that several activities still needed to be finalized, notably in relation to the documentation centre and the conservation laboratories. 13

14 3.3.2 Mr Manhart noted that since 2007, UNESCO had helped with the reorganization of the spatial settings, and the restoration of the ceilings, walls, doors and floors of the documentation centre and library. In addition, computers and storage furniture for the historic documents were procured and delivered to Aswan However, the furniture was not accepted as suitable by the Nubia Museum. An internal audit was recently carried out by the UNESCO Internal Oversight Service to find out why the furniture was not provided to the required specifications and to reassess the internal procurement process.the recommendations of the report were for the Secretariat to assess the suitability of the furniture, to stop payment on the second installment of US$42,000, to file a claim to recover the first contractual payment based on misrepresentation of bids by the company (MDT), and to rebid a contract (if necessary) to provide the Nubia Museum with adequate furniture Mr Manhart reported that the Secretariat had traveled to Aswan on 6 June 2009 with representatives from the UNESCO Cairo Office, and the Egyptian authorities to assess the furniture. The assessment, and detailed discussion with the staff of the Nubia Museum, confirmed that the furniture was inadequate and needs to be replaced With regards to the conservation laboratories, Mr Manhart noted that an assessment of the conservation equipment had been carried out in March 2009 by Dr Ismail, Conservator and Consultant for the Egyptian authorities. Dr Ismail s evaluation noted that the equipment was not working and that staff did not know how to use it. The evaluation recommended for UNESCO to assist in the repair and maintenance of the machines and staff training. Mr Manhart further noted that the need for the equipment and the viability for a regional research and training centre in the Nubia Museum should also be assessed, and that the equipment should be reallocated if necessary. He cited the recommendations of Dr Ismail s report, which were to employ specialist members of staff and to train them at Cairo University Regarding Sudan, Mr Manhart outlined the activities undertaken by UNESCO in relation to the rehabilitation of the shelters of the Nubian Temples, and reported that a one-month training course in conservation took place in Sudan. 3.4 REPORT OF THE UNESCO CAIRO OFFICE The UNESCO Cairo Office provided an update on its activities, which mainly relate to the Nubia Museum and Sudan Firstly, Dr de Puymege discussed activities still to be finalized. He announced that the CDs and Kalabsha and Philae had now been produced, and that CDs on Abu Simbel and the International Campaign were still to be finalized In addition, he noted that the acquisition of historic documents for the Nubia Museum documentation centre was still ongoing Regarding cooperation between Egypt and Sudan, he described the development that had been carried out for the future establishment of the Wadi Halfa Museum, which would work closely with the Nubia Museum and the National Museum of Sudan. Dr de Puymege announced that funds had been found to finance the construction of the museum and an adjacent eco-lodge. A Nubian architect had already been engaged and the foundation stone had been laid on 22 April He stressed that this activity was financed under the regular budget. 14

15 3.4.5 Dr de Puymege also noted that a conference for the 50 th Anniversary of the Nubia Campaign had been organized in Aswan, which was attended by 150 archaeologists, and during which a public campaign was launched by Dr Hawass for the salvage of the site of Qasr Ibrim. Ms Constanza de Simone provided a summary of the event and the Qasr Ibrim proposal In addition, the event entitled The Nubia Experience: Aswan and Wadi Halfa was organized for the occasion of International Museums Day on 18 May The event was a major success with a remarkable amount of media coverage Secondly, Dr de Puymege discussed several activities that had previously been cancelled in past Executive Committee meetings. He recommended that these be reintroduced and completed. These activities were the production of a CD-Rom about the Nubia Museum, the second English language course for the staff of the Nubia Museum, the production of an educational kit, as well as the establishment of a GIS system to facilitate the surveying of Nubian archaeological sites Thirdly, he reiterated that the activities relating to the conservation laboratories, as well as the furniture of the documentation centre would need to be corrected Lastly, Dr de Puymege proposed that several new activities be financed by the International Campaign, including the provision of a web-portal to show the digitized collections of the Nubia Museum, as well as the salvage of Qasr Ibrim. He also stressed that there was a need to cover the staff costs of the UNESCO Cairo office who were working to support the activities under the Campaign. 3.5 DISCUSSION The Chairman opened the floor to discussion of the issues outlined by the reports. Archives of Nubian Documents Firstly, Dr Valloggia wished to clarify the extent of collaboration between the Nubia Museum and the National Museum of Sudan regarding the archives of historical documents relating to the Campaign. Dr Abdel Meguid explained that both museums had exchanged electronic databases of their holdings. Dr Abdelrahman Ali Mohamed added that there was still a need to document some of the holdings of Sudan. Infrastructure of Tourist Sites Dr Vallogia also enquired about the infrastructure of the historical sites of Nubia. He noted that in the past he had observed the lack of toilets and refreshment kiosks at the sites. The Secretariat had seconded an architect to assess this situation and recommend action to be taken Dr Abdel Meguid explained that all sites now had basic tourist infrastructure, which had been put in place by the Nubia Fund. Catalogue of the Nubia Museum Collection Dr Valloggia asked about the status of the catalogue of the collections of the Nubia Museum. He explained that the production of a catalogue and its translation had been suggested by the Committee in a previous meeting. 15

16 3.5.6 Dr Abdel Meguid explained that the catalogue had been developed but was of very poor quality and was therefore never published. He confirmed that the Nubia Museum was now working on a new catalogue with the support from the Nubia Fund. Bibliography of Publications relating to Nubia Dr Valloggia also raised the issue of the bibliography which had been developed under his responsibility but which has not been updated since Ms de Simone agreed that this bibliography, which is available from the UNESCO website regarding the Nubia Museum, would require additional work to include also a wider geographical scope not limited to the lake area. External Evaluation and Next Steps for the Documentation Centre and Conservation Laboratories Several Committee members commented on the urgent need to rectify the situation with regards to the documentation centre and the conservation laboratories, especially in light of the poor condition of many of the documents. The representatives of Congo and Finland, Mr Essanzo and Professor Frösen, underlined the importance of analyzing the best possible options for the next steps to ensure the preservation of the documents and the utilization of the laboratory equipment. Dr Ziegler, representative of France, suggested that the help of the Centre de Recherche et de Retauration des Musées de France be sought to analyze the equipment in detail. Mr de Guichen further underlined that an evaluation of the situation should include an assessment of the needs for a Regional Conservation and Training Centre in Aswan, and what type of Centre this should be, or what the alternative solutions would be Mr Chotoku, the representative of Japan, stressed that it was important for the Committee to make a decision as to whether new activities should be started for the Nubia Museum, or whether the focus should be on finalizing current activities and also completing an external evaluation H.E. Mrs. Marčiulionytė, representative of Lithuania, emphasized that an external evaluation of all activities undertaken in the framework of the International Campaign for the Nubia Museum was absolutely necessary and should be carried out with a view to presenting it to the Executive Committee in She noted that external auditors should carry out this evaluation at that this was now urgent, as it had been a past recommendation by the Committee both in its 15 th and 16 th Session Dr El Zahaby proposed that an evaluation should be carried out only after the Egyptian authorities had completed an internal assessment to reconsider the best options for the use of the equipment and the laboratories Dr Ismail stressed that he had already undertaken an assessment of the equipment and had already come up with proposals for next steps to be taken. This proposal included the employment of specialists to operate the equipment, and their training at the Cairo University, as well as the development of a strategy for the repair and maintenance of the equipment by local suppliers It was agreed that this assessment should be finalized by the Egyptians by the end of 2009, and that an external evaluation be carried out by an external auditor after this, so that results could be reported at the 18 th Session in New Activities 16

17 Mr Chotoku noted that while some of the new activities that had been proposed for the Nubia Museum seemed reasonable, in particular with regards to training in conservation and the use of the equipment, others, such as English language training, seemed to be less of a priority Mr Manhart explained that the training in English language was important as the museum staff had to catalogue many English documents. Special Account for Egypt Mr Chotoku enquired about the status of the Special Account and asked why it was supervised by the Executive Committee of the International Campaign Mr Manhart explained that when the Nubian Campaign was first initiated, two accounts were created to receive donor funds. The 301EGY4072 Account, now the account under the supervision of the Executive Committee, was the main account that was used. The second account, now known as the Special Account, was hardly used. The account now contains approximately US$ 10 million. However, it is not monitored by the Committee. As it is a Special Account, UNESCO is not obliged to report to member states. However, annual financial reports are produced and available and are distributed to the Egyptian authorities. The Special Account was used in line with the four main lines of action that had been agreed with the Egyptian authorities Mr Chotoku proposed that the option of using the Special Account also for support of the Nubia Museum, currently not included in the four main lines of action, should be explored in light of the diminishing funds of the 301 Account Dr Tremblay asked for clarification about the status of the Executive Committee once the funds in the 301 Account had diminished The Secretariat confirmed that the Executive Committee would be phased out and the Campaign would be closed. The wish to maintain the International Campaign and the Executive Committee, or the establishment of a similar Committee to supervise the account, would have to be addressed to UNESCO from the Egyptian authorities The Secretariat also noted that with regards to the proposals for the salvage of the site of Qasr Ibrim, the Egyptian authorities would need to request from UNESCO in writing the addition of this project as a new line of action to be included in the Special Account. 3.6 CLOSING SESSION The 17 th Session of the Executive Committee was closed by the Chairman, Dr Vatandoust, who warmly thanked the Executive Committee for supporting the establishment of the NMEC and Nubia Museum and expressed his satisfaction in the work undertaken in the framework of the cooperation with Sudan The Chairman thanked all Members of the Executive Committee, the Egyptian authorities and the Secretariat for their work and fruitful debates. He warmly congratulated the achievements made by the Egyptian authorities and in particular the progress done in favor of the NMEC. 17

18 Friday 12 June MEETING WITH THE NMEC SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE The Executive Committee was received by the Scientific Committee of NMEC at the NMEC site. The Scientific Committee is responsible for the museological programme and artifact selection for NMEC and is headed by Professor Ali Radwan. Professor Radwan warmly welcomed the Committee members and explained that the museological programme had been completed and that the artifacts were currently being selected. The museological programme is chronological and thematic, thus providing the visitor with different options of how to experience Egyptian civilization He gave a presentation showing representative pieces of all periods spanning across Egyptian civilization. He explained that 2000 artifacts would be displayed in the core exhibition space, which would give visitors an overview tour of the museum Professor Radwan further explained that the Scientific Committee was keen to explore options of using technology and interactives in the museum, and also to establish a strong educational programme Regarding the visitor profile of NMEC, he explained that all types of visitors are expected, including international and local visitors, and especially school children. The total number of visitors per year was estimated to be 2 million Regarding the schedule until opening, Professor Radwan noted that the project was divided into three phases. The first phase included the construction of the building, the second phase including the furnishing, fit-out and equipment of the building, and the third phase would include the exhibition design, which would be completed within 8-10 months Professor Radwan expressed his gratitude to the Executive Committee and UNESCO for its support of the project, and hoped that a fruitful working relationship could be established to realize the project together. 18

19 ANNEX 1 ADJUSTED RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON CONSULTATION WITH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN JANUARY th Session of the Executive Committee of the International Campaign for the Establishment of the Nubia Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS The Executive Committee, RECOMMENDATION 1 Acknowledging the work undertaken by the Secretariat, Having taken note of the achievements obtained in the implementation of past recommendations, Noting that the budget allocated by the Committee for certain recommendations remains unused or remains committed and will be spent in 2009, as reflected in the budget summary of the Secretariat s report. Recommends That if not provided otherwise in the recommendations, there is no carry over of budget, which remains either fully or partially executed from past recommendations. The Executive Committee, Recalling recommendation 2 of the 16 th Session, RECOMMENDATION 2 Recalling the status of this Executive Committee, the Secretariat of which is located in Paris, Acknowledging the importance of the work carried out by the Secretariat in Paris for the implementation of the recommendations and in cooperation with the UNESCO Cairo office, Recommends That the UNESCO Headquarters with support from the UNESCO Cairo Office continue to play a strong role in the implementation of activities under the International Campaign, That the Special Account 402EGY4001, reserved for the support of NMEC activities, be used to supplement the activities of the International Campaign relating to NMEC and for which no budget has been set aside in the recommendations below. To examine the feasibility of revising the terms of reference for the Special Account with a view to making recommendations of its management and use for the purpose of the International Campaign at the next Executive Committee meeting, 1