A speech by Arc David Kojo Derban

Presented at the 27th ICOM General Conference- Dubai

It was an honor for me to address the 27th General ICOM Conference held in Dubai last week. My profound gratitude goes to the leaders of ICOM DEMHIST for giving me the opportunity and to ICOM Ghana for their support.

In my address, I highlighted the lack of attention given by the majority of African governments towards cultural conservation, even though culture is generally agreed to be foundational to the development of any nation. It is usually not found on the priority list of the development agenda, or part of party manifestos or policy reforms. Yet in recent years, policy-makers across the world are finding that conservation of culture, old architecture of cities, art, and environment are essential but latent driving forces of sustainable economies through tourism.

Conservation should first stem from national pride and a willingness to preserve identity. It ignites political and environmental awareness. Museums serve as significant repositories of our national and cultural identities. Our tangible heritage, buildings, and artifacts serve as physical reminders of our unique social structures, historical occurrences, and religious beliefs in a globalized world. I reiterated to the conference participants that the primary function of conservators was to preserve culture by reasserting meaning and relevance in our art and architecture to the public and to fit conservation into its rightful place in the national agenda of our various nations.

ICOM is the International Council on Museums. I have been a proud member of DEMHIST since 2023, an international committee within ICOM, which specializes in the preservation and management of buildings of historic value that have been converted into museums and their exhibits. We believe that whether it’s a fort or castle, or a humble cottage, each has a unique story to tell. Ghana’s Museums and Monuments Board is yet to draw up a specific policy on this. It is another way of increasing tourist places in a city and a way to generate revenue. For ICOM, the Solidarity project — community-led conservation efforts and vision to establish a foundation for heritage conservation in Africa, is a step in the right direction.