AVICOM

AVICOM, established in June 1991, is the ICOM International Committee for Audiovisual and New Technologies of Image and Sound. It is one of ICOM’s (International Council of Museums) international committees.

The Committee members are curators, scientists and technicians in charge of collections, and those responsible for the services that use audiovisual and new technologies in museums and heritage and cultural institutions. Private professionals are also involved as consultants.

The Committee depends on patrons and on grants, and is seeking its own sources of funding in order to be able to carry out its mission.

 

What is ICOM?

 ICOM is the international organisation of museums and museum professionals which is committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.

Created in 1946, ICOM is a non-governmental organization (NGO) maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

As a not-for-profit organization, ICOM is financed primarily by membership fees. It is also supported by various governmental and other bodies such as UNESCO for whom it carries out part of its museum program. Based in Paris, France, at UNESCO headquarters, ICOM’s head office houses both the ICOM Secretariat and the UNESCO-ICOM Museum Information Centre.

The 21,000 members of ICOM in 146 countries participate in the national, regional and international activities of the organisation: workshops, publications, training, twinning programmes, and the promotion of museums through International Museum Day (May 18, annually).

Members participate in the activities of 114 national committees and 30 international committees. Some national committees have also joined together regionally in order to strengthen their activities. ICOM is affiliated with 15 international associations.

The ICOM Strategic Plan, adopted by the General Assembly, is implemented by the ICOM Secretariat as well as by national and international committees who contribute to the implementation of ICOM’s programs. ICOM's activities respond to the challenges and needs of the museum profession and focus on the following themes:

• professional cooperation and interchange
• disseminating knowledge about and raising public awareness of museums
• training of personnel
• advancement of professional standards
• development and promotion of professional ethics
• heritage protecting and combatting the illicit traffic in cultural property.