The Museums Association (MA) has written to the International Council for Museums (Icom) to alert the worldwide museum community to the potentially damaging impact that a forthcoming United Nations (UN) arms treaty could have on military collections.
The Arms Trade Treaty, which is likely to be ratified next spring, controls the international trade of arms, including the transfer of title or control over equipment and the physical movement of equipment into or out of a national territory.
The treaty covers movement including import, export, re-export, temporary transfer, lease, loan and gifts, and encompasses tanks, military aircraft, light weapons and ammunition.
In a letter to the head of Icom, Julien Anfruns, MA director Mark Taylor wrote: “Under the proposals, any museum would have to seek the permission of the exporting country, importing country and transit countries to acquire and transport an antique arm or weapon, even for a temporary loan or a research project.”
The International Committee of Museums of Arms and Military History (Icomam) is lobbying the UN to ensure an exemption for antique and museum arms and weapons, said Taylor.
“If no exemption is included, [Icomam] believes that the bureaucracy would virtually kill the movement of historic arms stone dead,” he wrote.
“The next five years will see a huge number of military anniversaries for which museums worldwide are negotiating exchanges and loans.
“We believe that the treaty needs to include a clause exempting antique and museum arms and weapons.”
The Arms Trade Treaty, which is likely to be ratified next spring, controls the international trade of arms, including the transfer of title or control over equipment and the physical movement of equipment into or out of a national territory.
The treaty covers movement including import, export, re-export, temporary transfer, lease, loan and gifts, and encompasses tanks, military aircraft, light weapons and ammunition.
In a letter to the head of Icom, Julien Anfruns, MA director Mark Taylor wrote: “Under the proposals, any museum would have to seek the permission of the exporting country, importing country and transit countries to acquire and transport an antique arm or weapon, even for a temporary loan or a research project.”
The International Committee of Museums of Arms and Military History (Icomam) is lobbying the UN to ensure an exemption for antique and museum arms and weapons, said Taylor.
“If no exemption is included, [Icomam] believes that the bureaucracy would virtually kill the movement of historic arms stone dead,” he wrote.
“The next five years will see a huge number of military anniversaries for which museums worldwide are negotiating exchanges and loans.
“We believe that the treaty needs to include a clause exempting antique and museum arms and weapons.”