Improving Art, History Preservation with "Museum of Morocco" Certification

Fez - Morocco’s museums will soon seek certification of “excellence” with the National Foundation of Museums (FNM). Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid presented the draft decree 2.21.1059 seeking a documentation process to file museums’ requests with the FNM.

Fez – Morocco’s museums will soon seek certification of “excellence” with the National Foundation of Museums (FNM). Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid presented the draft decree 2.21.1059 seeking a documentation process to file museums’ requests with the FNM.

The government approved the decree on February 10 implementing Law 56.20.

The FNM, created in 2011, is tasked with enhancing and promoting Morocco’s cultural and artistic heritage via its museums. Chaired by Mehdi Qotbi, the FNM is a non-profit organization with legal authority and financial autonomy that furthers the governance of Moroccan national museums.

The new legislation has two primary concerns. The first is to monitor transfers of museum items as well as relocation of museums. The second concern is creating a foundation and application process for a new certification of excellence label called “Museum of Morocco.”

The new legislation states that the FNM’s award of the “Museum of Morocco” label is subject to an order from the government department in charge of culture.

Museums with the excellence label will be able to display it on their facades, signs, and communication platforms, as well as use the certification in administrative processes, demonstrating their professionalism and quality

“The Kingdom enjoys an exceptional archaeological, ethnographic and artistic heritage that we must preserve and exhibit in our museums so that Moroccans can appropriate their history, and allow foreigners to discover the wealth of our culture,” Quotbi told Be Cult magazine.

Morocco’s art and historical collection is now more diverse than it has ever been. While most pieces use a variety of styles to portray Moroccan culture and tradition, there is now a focus on provenance and perspective.

FNM recently announced that it will use masterpieces from the Arab World Institute during an exhibition that will take place this year across several provinces.