Princess Sumaya represents Jordan at International Council of Museums in Paris

AMMAN — Jordan, represented by a delegation headed by HRH Princess Sumaya, recently participated in the International Council of Museums’ (ICOM) annual meeting held in Paris.

The Jordanian delegation represented ICOM Jordan national committee that included the Jordan Museum, Children Museum, the Ahli Bank Museum, the National Gallery of Fine  Arts, the Royal Automobile Museum, and individual members from the museums sector in Jordan, a statement by Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) said on Monday.

In an address during the opening session of the General Assembly, Princess Sumaya highlighted the role of the Jordan Museum in establishing ICOM Jordan, which has enabled the Kingdom to be present and recognised by the international forum that “represents an integral part of museology worldwide”, the statement said.

“Indeed, we must connect our young people with their ancestors, with their environment and with the timeless landscape that we are briefly caretakers of, so that they may learn to think holistically, sustainably and optimistically,” she said. 

Furthermore, the princess stressed on the need to “devise a model for public engagement that embraces communities and generations, whether through exhibitions, visitor centres, or publications”. 

 “Our cultural heritage is precious and vital to understanding who we are, and to reaffirming how much we share. But we must never forget that it is a non-renewable resource, and one that we must tirelessly protect.” 

“Our fragile heritage endowments are assets that may generate sustainable economic and social values, and meaningful cultural exchange, but only if they are properly mapped, managed and understood,” she added.

During the meetings, Princess Sumaya highlighted the World Science Forum due to be held at the Dead Sea in November, extending invitations to the ICOM president and director general, according to the statement. 

She also stressed on the importance of “remembering and celebrating the contributions of Muslims, Christians, Jews, Persians and Arabs in the Golden Age of research and learning, in a bid to restore some of that ingenuity”.

The princess and the delegation joined the meeting of ICOM advisory council that was held on June 7, where recommendations of the international and national committees were presented and discussed by the general assembly, according to the statement. 

Workshops related to museums’ working mechanisms were also conducted, and a set of presentations were given on the work of ICOM during 2016. 

The delegation also went on a field visit to the Louvre Museum to explore up-to-date techniques and tools related to exhibition design.

As she chaired a meeting of the Arab Organisation of Museums (ICOM Arab), the princess stressed the need to develop the museum sector in the Arab world, and the joint working mechanisms between Arab museums and official parties representing them, according to the statement. 

Established in 2015, ICOM Jordan was the most significant Arab participation, the statement noted.