Number 212 will be the last issue of Museum International in its present form, that of being entirely devoted to museums and the worldwide exchange of infomation about museums, in a layout created in 1972. It is necessary, before the new stage begins, to stop to take a retrospective look at some of the landmarks in the evolution of museographic theory and practice, in the light of the major contemporary issues dealt with by UNESCO's oldest cultural periodical since its creation in 1948.The four themes which stand out are namely: museology and endogenous development, culture and the environment, the transfer of knowledge and, lastly, identity, property and the protection of heritage. Throughout the past fifty and more years, these four themes have together constituted one of the master keys to the understanding of the place of museums in society, the various ways in which they have contributed to intellectual evolution, and how they themselves could evolve in future decades. The museum, a place for reflection on heritage and culture, can no longer be divorced from the major issues of our time. Indeed, Our Creative Diversity, the report of the World Commission on Culture and Development which was published by UNESCO in 1996, has a chapter entitled Cultural Heritage for Development which clearly highlights the responsibilities of museums. The present issue comprises a selection from the articles published in the periodical to date. It is aimed at providing our readers with a number of signposts both for the individual pleasure of revisiting past fora of discussion and in order to emphasize the worth of the legacy in their possession. Although some might see this selection as being partial and relative in character, it was chiefly dictated by the desire to highlight the non-linear stages in the evolving processes of reflection and practice on the one hand, and, on the other, to provide a representative sample from the different successive periods. Different sorts of balance, including geographic balance, had to be respected. Both outstanding individuals and lesser-known authors, whose views threw particular light on a given subject, are being given voice once again by Museum International. Cuts have been made in the texts in order to avoid overburdening them with details of past concerns and, of course, to ensure that the magazine does not exceed its normal length. Each article's reference is given to enable any reader who so desires to read the uncut version..In addition to the aforementioned four themes, Museum International's editorial staff wishes also to give publicity to the archival wealth and value of the periodical with respect to the study and preservation of cultural heritage as well as the individual histories of national museums. A large number of countries have used Museum International as the medium in which to publish their experiences and analyses of their individual museum practice at a time of unparalleled renewal and growth. One is fascinated to witness, from one issue to the next of the 53 volumes of the publication, the beginnings and progressive full development of the features of the present-day museum landscape. To give three examples taken from the national, regional and international spheres, the first Expert Meeting on Historic Sites and Monuments, which took place in 1950, established an exhaustive review of the post-war situation of museums. 1962 witnessed the recognition of Indian culture and inauguration of the new wing of the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico. And the first Conference of African Museums was held in the Zambian town of Maramba (also known as Livingstone) in 1972.

Museum International's archives should not be left unused but, on the contrary, put at the disposal of all: researchers, museographers, historians, heritage theoreticians, political decision-makers and the wider public. We hope that this republication issue will rouse the interest and obtain the support of the international community for the establishment of a programme to digitize and diffuse the entire archives of Museum International on the web, with the assistance of the specialized agencies. Accordingly, the set of illustrations accompanying the articles when they were first published, but which are too numerous to be published in this issue, have been brought together on the UNESCO Museum International website: www.unesco.org/culture/museum. For over fifty years, all aspects of the practical work of museums were reviewed, documented, discussed and disseminated. It is worth remembering that during the long crucial years of national liberation and reconstruction, Museum International was the sole international organ which promoted the museographic and cultural projects of all countries throughout the globe. Even today, it alone enjoys a legitimacy which has remained intact on the international stage. This legitimacy should be put to use to present and discuss the outstanding ethical, philosophical and social issues in the domain of heritage in general, and that of museums in particular. UNESCO is aware of the fact that heritage is not only a practice but also a central issue as much in politics, as in culture and economics1.

The new Museum International will deal with subjects relating to heritage and museums, with its primary focus being on problems which will be dealt with in a less technical way. It will also endeavour to show the scientific underpinnings of international action on heritage, as witnessed by the action of museums, but not only museums, to present the best development and management policies and, lastly, to determine the new conceptual and practical prospects for a worldwide heritage project. The first edition will be a double issue (comprising numbers 1and 2 of 2002), and will be devoted to the site of Angkor, the very epitome of heritage. Its publication will coincide with the anniversary of the registeration of the site on the World Heritage List, and the launching of an international programme to safeguard the site. The editorial staff of Museum International will be happy to receive the opinions of readers on the different subjects referred to above and, more particularly, the project to digitize the magazine's archives.
I.V.

1 Two World Culture Reports published by UNESCO in 1998 and 2000 initiated reflection on the new major issues and the new analytical approaches to heritage and museums in the context of globalization. The year 2000 World Culture Report is available online on the UNESCO website: www.unesco.org/booksonline.asp. The 1998 report can be ordered on the same website.