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 SIXTEENTH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel 16-21 December 2006 FINAL REPORT INTRODUCTION 1. The 16th 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, Aswan and Abu Simbel from 16 to 21 December 2006. 2. The representatives of fourteen countries (Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Senegal, Sudan, Switzerland) elected by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 33rd Session, participated in the meeting. Representatives of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) attended the meeting as observers. (see Annex 1: List of participants). 2. Dr Vatandoust previous Chairman of the Executive Committee welcomed the participants to the 16th Session and thanked the Egyptian authorities for hosting the meeting in their country. He then gave the floor to Dr Z. Hawass, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). 3. Dr Z. Hawass warmly welcomed the fourteen Member States and Observers 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 mentioned that thirteen museums are about to open in Egypt and pointed out that preserving collections is of major importance. In particular, he gave the example of the Great Egyptian Museum (GEM), which will collect 50,000 artifacts. He then gave a brief presentation on museums recently opened to the public such as the Imothep Museum, in Saqqara and Al Ahrish Museum in the Sinai. Dr Hawass further described the project of museums which shall open in the near future such as the Crocodile Museum on Kom Ombo Island, dedicated to the cult of Sobbek. 4. Dr Hawass mentioned that NMEC is part of the above framework of restructuring and establishing museums in Egypt. NMEC will host major educational activities. In order to attract foreign visitors, NMEC will exhibit the Royal Mummies collections, currently exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. 1 5. He further stressed that the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, will be targeted as part of the museums’ reorganization in Egypt and will continue to be a major pole of attraction for tourists. In this context, a project for its rehabilitation is ongoing, and the rehabilitation work has already started in the storage areas. He then mentioned that the circulation inside the museum is being reviewed, air conditioning added and commercial areas expanded. Moreover a database is currently under preparation by the SCA. Dr Hawass insisted on the importance of establishing a long-term training programme for museum professionals and expressed the wish that this activity be jointly carried out with UNESCO in view of opening a School of Museum Studies in Cairo as soon as possible. 6. Dr Hawass expressed his pleasure in seeing the first presentation on the NMEC to the public on the occasion of the exhibition Sunken Treasures of Egypt at the Grand Palais in Paris. He further stressed that this presentation on NMEC would be integral part of two traveling exhibitions: Sunken Treasures of Egypt and Tutankhamen. He further mentioned that the collections presented at the Grand Palais could be presented permanently at NMEC. 7. He further wished the Executive Committee a successful meeting and fruitful visits to the archaeological sites of Nubia and gave the floor to Mr Gadi Mgomezulu, Director of the Division of Cultural Heritage at UNESCO. 8. On behalf of the Director-General, Mr Gadi Mgomezulu welcomed the participants to the opening session of the Executive Committee. He particularly thanked the Egyptian authorities represented by Dr Z. Hawass, Mr A. Abdel Moneim Director of NMEC and Arch. Ahmed Hussein, Secretary General of the Nubia Trust Fund for hosting the meeting in Cairo, Aswan and Abu Simbel. He recalled the long lasting collaboration between UNESCO and the Egyptian authorities in safeguarding and protection of Egypt’s rich cultural heritage. He then focused on the activities jointly undertaken in the framework of the above International Campaign and stressed the importance of the work achieved in the past year with particular attention to the first international exhibition on NMEC at the Grand Palais in Paris. He then presented the works in course of achievement at the Nubia Museum, such as the refurbishing of the Documentation Center on Nubian Studies and the library and finally the activities undertaken in favour of the National Museum of Sudan in Khartoum. 9. The Director of the Division of Cultural Heritage called for the election of the new Chairman and Rapporteur of the Executive Committee. Unanimously, Dr Rasool Vatandoust, representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was reelected Chairman of the Executive Committee. Mrs Claire Simard, representative of Canada, was elected Rapporteur of the Executive Committee. The agenda was adopted as follow: i. Opening of the session ii. Adoption of the agenda iii. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (a) Report of Secretariat (b) Report by the Egyptian authorities (c) Discussion and decision of the follow up of activity iv. The Nubia Museum (a) Report of Secretariat (b) Report by the Egyptian authorities (c) Discussion and decision of the follow up of activity v. Discussion and recommendations 2 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION IN CAIRO 11. Progress of work and implementation of recommendations by the Secretariat: i. Mrs A. Paolini, Secretariat of the Committee, presented the UNESCO report on the implementation of the recommendations of the 15th Session of the Executive Committee related to NMEC, with a detailed account of the expenses inccurred under each recommendation. The Secretariat informed the Committee that the following activities were undertaken since the 15th Session in favour of NMEC. ii. Following four missions of experts in museology to Cairo including a long-term mission for a period of three months of a UNESCO consultant, the museological programme of NMEC has been finalized in joint collaboration with the NMEC Scientific Committee. In this framework, the Quebec Civilization Museum in Canada also provided its support and expertise. The museological programme was entrusted to the interior designer Arata Isozaki as a comprehensive document for the conception of the museography of the permanent galleries. iii. The Secretariat then presented the activities carried out for the establishment of the conservation workshops of NMEC, including materials, equipments etc... Following five UNESCO experts meetings at HQs and two experts’ missions to Cairo the workshops of the museum were completely redesigned in order to gain flexibility, sharing common facilities and increasing natural light. A proposal for the final plans of the workshops was provided to the Egyptian authorities in November 2006 for their final approval. Moreover, the Secretariat reported to the Executive Committee on the support given by UNESCO in other fields such as museum management, documentation of collections, security, landscape architecture and capacity building. iv. Mrs. Paolini then gave a brief overview on the study missions undertaken by the NMEC Director, Head of exhibitions and Secretariat to Canada, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Paris. The visits targeted museums and cultural institution of the same kind (Quai Branly Museum, Quebec Civilization Museum), centers of documentation of Intangible Heritage (Laval University) and conservation restorations workshops (Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Quebec Civilization Museum, Research Center for Conservation of Cultural Relics, Tehran) etc… These visits are indispensable to present to the NMEC Director and his staff the interactivity of different departments of a same institution and make them familiar with technical, organizational and curatorial aspects. The visits made clearer the recommendations of the experts in different fields. The feedback of these visits was very tangible: the museological programme for the Royal Mummies has been based on the methodology presented by the Quebec Civilization Museum, the addition of technical elements such as large elevators for heavy and large objects and the reorganization, refurbishing of storage areas were the results of the same visit. Moreover, she stressed that the Chantier des collections was being developed on the model of the Quai Branly Museum. v. The Secretariat of the Executive Committee concluded presenting the exhibition on NMEC, at the Grand Palais in Paris which was inaugurated on 8 December 2006. The exhibition, opened to the public until 16 March 2007, expects an average of 500,000 visitors. In the framework of the exhibition on the Sunken Treasures of Egypt, the NMEC stand of 30 3 sq m presents a model of the museum, explanations in French and English of the project with pictures and drawings and the collections, bilingual leaflets, and a video. A press kit in French and English has been prepared and high definition digital copies of the kit provided to the Egyptian authorities together with printed copies for diffusion. Articles on NMEC have been published in several newspapers, magazines in France and Egypt, on the web and broadcasted on the radio. This event represents an initial presentation to the public at large of the NMEC project and constitutes a first step in the museum’s communication strategy before its opening. 12. Progress of work and implementation of recommendations by the Egyptian authorities: i.