CIPEG Statement on the situation in Egypt

The International Committee of Egyptology (CIPEG) in the International Council of Museums (ICOM) expresses its deepest sympathy to the family members and friends of those who have lost their lives during the demonstrations in the last few days in Egypt. Like many people in Egypt and abroad, the members of CIPEG are concerned about the safety of the Egyptian cultural heritage in the museums and at the archaeological sites. CIPEG sincerely respects the many Egyptian colleagues and many volunteers who are assisting to protect the cultural heritage of the country and prevent new thefts and destruction in this difficult situation.
CIPEG is asking all its members and colleagues to support all efforts in Egypt to further protect the museums and cultural sites. Furthermore, we would ask all to watch the international art market very carefully for the appearance of objects which may have been stolen from museum and storage facilities or looted from cultural sites. We strongly ask our colleagues in the museums to avoid buying works of art from Egypt which have no clear and proven provenance, and to assist alerting private collectors to do the same.
CIPEG and the Disaster Relief Task Force of ICOM have just started their work in collecting the facts, and they will work together with the President and the General Director of ICOM on a report and a statement for later recovery measures.
We ask for your help and support in providing us with first hand information about any kind of destruction or looting of museums or archaeological sites. This is in order to gather as many facts as possible to get an accurate assessment of the actual damage and possible needs. Please send your information to the Secretary: g.pieke@googlemail.com
CIPEG is planning to focus its next annual meeting, which will take place 1-4 September 2011 in Poznan (Poland), on the situation of the museums and ancient sites in Egypt. For this reason we ask all our members and colleagues to assist us in collecting as much data as possible.

Claire Derriks
Chairperson of CIPEG
Gabriele Pieke
Secretary of CIPEG
Ossama Abdel Meguib
Members of the Executive Council of ICOM
Regine Schulz
Members of the Executive Council of ICOM