The year 2010 is a special year for the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Two major events will take place in Shanghai, China, which mark the global presence and diversity of ICOM with : the participation of ICOM from May 1st to October 31st in the Shanghai World Expo followed by ICOM’s 22nd General Conference from November 7th to 12th. Two separate events with one simple goal: bringing the worldwide museum community together and communicating ICOM’s objectives.

Under the theme of “Museums for social harmony”, universality will be celebrated and the dialogue between different cultures will be encouraged at this General Conference in Shanghai. The six-day Conference will offer a platform to share and demonstrate projects by participants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and provide a forum to develop innovative, interdisciplinary and inclusive conceptual frameworks in a dynamic and changing museological environment. ICOM’s 28,000 members from 137 countries play an important role in the preservation and conservation of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Thanks to this Conference, they can continue to work closely together across different cultures developing a society of mutual understanding, thus more peaceful, tolerant and harmonious.

I am very pleased that we can once again gather together in Asia since our General Conference in Seoul, Korea in 2004, on this important occasion. The triennial General Conference is a great opportunity for museum professionals to meet and exchange their thoughts, ideas and experiences. Our last Conference held in Vienna, Austria in 2007 was a great success. It is my great honour to welcome you, together with our Chinese hosts, to this significant event. I hope that we can all contribute to making it an unforgettable moment. See you in Shanghai in 2010!