ICOM and ICOMON

What is ICOM?

ICOM, the International Council of Museum, is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that maintains formal relations with UNESCO. It has a consultative status to the United Nations' Economic and Social Council.

ICOM was created in 1946 and has around 21.000 members in 140 countries. The membership participates in the activities of 113 National Committees and 30 International Committees. Some National Committees have also organised on a regional level to reinforce their action. ICOM is affiliated with 13 international associations.

ICOM is a non-profit making organisation whose funds come mainly from membership subscriptions. It receives support from UNESCO's programme activity for museums and from public and private funds.

Based in Paris, France, the ICOM headquarters maintains a Secretariat incorporating the UNESCO-ICOM Information Centre. If you are a museum professional and wish to become a member of ICOM, please contact the "Membership Service":mailto:secretariat@icom.org

A wide variety of documents about additional aspects of ICOM's organisational history and structure are available in the general document repositories and the Home Page ("http:www.icom.org":http:www.icom.org ).

What is ICOMON?

ICOMON, the International committee of Money and Banking Museums, is one of the youngest committees of ICOM. ICOMON received its official status as a constituent part of ICOM at the Stavanger Conference (July, 1995). The idea for ICOMON actually dates back to the time of the 10th International Numismatic Congress of Brussels (September, 1991), when a number of participants suggested the creation of an ongoing international forum specifically intended for monetary and banking museums. This request was enthusiastically supported by ICOM.

ICOMON has several primary objectives.

  • ICOMON supports ICOM projects and objectives, especially as they relate to numismatic, monetary and banking museums.
  • ICOMON provides a forum for communication, co-operation and information exchange between museums and museum professionals concerned with numismatics, economic, financial and banking history.
  • ICOMON is dedicated to the museological problems of its members and is a forum of discussion for problems regarding the acquisition and conservation of objects, theft, management, educational projects, conceptual questions, presentation and display, control of climatological conditions, etc.

In support of these objectives ICOMON yearly organises meetings and distributes the ICOMON Newsletter.