ICOM (International Council of Museums) has officially adopted the new Code of Ethics for Museums, a step considered essential for strengthening the framework of principles that guides the work of museums and museum professionals worldwide. The decision was made on June 25, 2026, when the 41st Ordinary General Assembly voted to approve the updated version of the document, following a comprehensive participatory process that spanned several years. The revision of the Code of Ethics was led by the ICOM Ethics Committee (ETHCOM), under the supervision of the international organization’s Executive Committee. The process involved ICOM’s national and international committees, regional alliances, and affiliated organizations around the world, with the aim of establishing a shared framework capable of addressing the transformations currently affecting the contemporary museum sector.
The revision, ICOM explained, stems from the need to update the role of museums in a profoundly changed global context and is directly linked to the new definition of a museum approved by ICOM’s Extraordinary General Assembly in 2022. The Code addresses some of the key challenges facing cultural institutions today: the growth of digital technologies, the climate crisis, the need to develop more responsible practices regarding the legacies of colonialism, and the reality of museums operating under diverse cultural, legal, professional, and economic conditions. Let’s take a look at the principles contained in the text.
The new Code establishes a universal ethical framework for museums and museum professionals, who are called upon to protect and promote cultural heritage, strengthen public trust, and play an active role in serving society. The document is based on common principles that guide the protection, research, conservation, and responsible management of collections, while also promoting sustainable and mindful models of governance. The new Code is organized around several key areas that define the relationship between museums, society, professionalism, education, collections, and governance.
The first major principle concerns the social role of museums. According to ICOM, museums must serve society by protecting and interpreting tangible, intangible, and digital heritage. Museums must be accessible and inclusive places, capable of collaborating with diverse people and communities to care for the past, the present, and the future. The document emphasizes the need to embrace different perspectives on heritage, transforming museums into spaces for open dialogue, the protection of human rights, the promotion of social justice, and peacebuilding.
In the context of preserving and sharing heritage, the Code stipulates that museums must document, research, preserve, interpret, and make cultural heritage available for the benefit of the community. Institutions are called upon to respect all traditions and cultures equitably, fostering the transmission of knowledge across generations and ensuring that collections remain accessible in the future.
A central element of the new approach concerns people’s right to participate in cultural life. The work of museums must be shaped by communities, recognizing their active role, their knowledge, and their right to contribute to museum activities. The Code also emphasizes the importance of the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of visitors and participants, calling on institutions to be safe spaces where cultural differences and conflicting opinions can be addressed through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Collaboration thus becomes one of the main tools recommended by ICOM. Museums are called upon to work with students, researchers, experts, other cultural institutions, and community members to improve practices related to the research, collection, conservation, documentation, and interpretation of heritage. Particular attention is given to indigenous peoples, who must be involved in decisions regarding their own heritage and creative expressions. The Code recognizes the right of communities to identify, preserve, and interpret their own tangible, intangible, and digital heritage, requiring free, prior, and informed consent and ensuring recognition of their contributions.
Among the stated objectives is also that of ensuring universal access to museums and information related to heritage, by eliminating physical, virtual, linguistic, sociocultural, and economic barriers that may limit participation. The new Code also calls on institutions to combat all forms of discrimination, including those related to disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, and belief systems, while also addressing systemic racism and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples.
The representation of cultural diversity is another central element. Museums must promote pluralistic interpretations of heritage, respecting different approaches to research, conservation, and collection management. The document highlights the value of scientific knowledge, traditional knowledge, and communities’ belief systems, recognizing that certain tangible, intangible, and digital cultural assets may be sacred in nature and require specific protocols for their management.
Significant attention is also given to sustainability. According to ICOM, museums must pursue long-term social, environmental, cultural, and financial sustainability. This means safeguarding the well-being of those involved, preserving collections, reducing environmental impact to help combat climate change, and maintaining economic stability consistent with respect for human rights and social responsibility.
A second pillar of the new Code concerns professionalism. To maintain the public’s trust, museums must operate and communicate in accordance with shared ethical criteria and professional standards. This responsibility extends to leadership, those who manage the institutions on a daily basis, and all individuals who work within or with museums. Museum leaders must therefore ensure that staff and volunteers possess the skills appropriate to the museum’s mission, while supporting ongoing training and professional development. The Code also emphasizes the importance of relationships based on respect, dignity, and integrity, with policies designed to prevent harassment and discrimination. Within this framework, safeguarding the well-being of workers plays a specific role: museum leaders must ensure safe working conditions, attention to physical, mental, and emotional health, and fair compensation. They must also establish plans to protect staff and volunteers in emergency situations, including wars, environmental disasters, and health crises.
The protection of collections remains a fundamental responsibility. Institutions must adopt procedures to ensure security, monitoring, preventive care, and the interventions necessary to preserve cultural heritage for future generations. Emergency procedures must allow for a rapid assessment of collections and for stabilization and recovery efforts when necessary.
The Code also emphasizes the obligation to comply with internal policies and procedures, protect confidential information, and safeguard personal data, financial information, donor data, staff information, and the security of the collections. Particular attention is given to the use of digital technologies: museums must evaluate their benefits and risks, considering the effects on intellectual property rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, data sovereignty, and the spread of misinformation. Collaboration among professionals, external experts, and communities is identified as essential to ensuring best practices. Similarly, the Code calls on museums to prevent conflicts of interest by establishing transparent rules regarding the acceptance of donations, benefits, loans, or invitations, and by prohibiting conduct that could compromise the institution’s professional independence or reputation.
A specific chapter addresses the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property. The new Code stipulates that museums and professionals must not participate, directly or indirectly, in the looting, damage, or destruction of cultural heritage. Institutions must conduct research into the provenance of their collections, maintain comprehensive documentation, and collaborate with museums, authorities, and organizations committed to combating illicit trafficking.
The third area identified by ICOM concerns education. Museums must offer diverse experiences of knowledge and reflection, promoting educational activities that foster dialogue and lifelong learning. These initiatives must be tailored to different audiences and include exhibitions, publications, online programs, and off-site activities, while supporting inclusion, linguistic pluralism, and intercultural dialogue. The Code stipulates that all information presented by museums must be accurate, reliable, and grounded in scientific and academic disciplines, traditional knowledge, or recognized belief systems. Institutions must build lasting partnerships with communities connected to the heritage they preserve, respecting the knowledge, practices, languages, rights, and customs of Indigenous peoples.
The accessibility of educational activities is considered a priority: exhibitions, publications, and programs must be designed to enable inclusive participation, while also incorporating visitor feedback into the development of initiatives. Museums must also carefully manage sensitive heritage, adopting professional standards for the display and use of culturally sensitive or sacred materials. Technology must be used responsibly in educational contexts as well. Digital tools must support the mission of museums, ensure accurate historical, scientific, and artistic information, and safeguard the well-being of users. ICOM also emphasizes the role of museums in sustainability education and in promoting innovative practices capable of protecting heritage and the planet.
Among the most significant new elements of the Code is the reference to reparative practices. Museums are encouraged to acknowledge and contribute to the redress of past injustices by upholding the cultural rights of communities and fostering pathways for reconnection with their history. Discussions regarding the restitution and return of cultural heritage are highlighted as opportunities for learning and dialogue among different cultures.
Another key section concerns collections. Museums must establish and maintain clear policies for the acquisition, documentation, protection, conservation, and use of tangible, intangible, and digital heritage. Each institution must ensure security, risk assessment, and adherence to professional standards.
The new Code also reaffirms the need for respectful treatment of human remains and the materials containing them, providing for the involvement of the communities of origin and, when appropriate, the possibility of restricting use or proceeding with restitution. Acquisitions must follow rigorous procedures, verifying provenance, legality, and condition, and avoiding the acquisition of objects from occupied territories or those collected through destructive or unlawful practices.
Collection documentation must be complete and secure, with protected databases that are accessible to the public—including online—except for confidential or sensitive information. Regarding the disposal of works, the Code establishes that museum collections ideally belong to society and must not be considered financial assets to be used to generate profit. Any proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned objects must be used exclusively for the benefit of the collections.
On the issue of restitution, ICOM calls on museums to respond in a timely and transparent manner to requests from states, individuals, indigenous peoples, communities, museums, and cultural institutions. Decisions must be based on scientific, historical, and documentary evidence, as well as on relevant traditional or spiritual knowledge. Institutions are called upon to conduct research on the provenance of works and to engage in constructive dialogue when new information emerges regarding problematic or illegitimate acquisitions.
The final major area of the Code concerns governance. Museums are defined as permanent, nonprofit institutions with governing bodies responsible for their long-term sustainability. Governing bodies must ensure compliance with laws and make their legal status, founding documents, and organizational structure publicly available. Institutions must establish clear missions and strategic plans, as well as public policies regarding collections, fundraising, institutional integrity, workforce diversity, and emergency management. Governing bodies must ensure adequate professional, physical, and financial resources, while also promoting environmental and social sustainability.
The Code emphasizes the importance of museum autonomy; museums must be able to maintain control over content, exhibitions, and publications without being subject to financial or political pressures that could compromise their mission and values. Governance must also ensure competent leadership by selecting leaders with the necessary knowledge and providing training when needed.
Finally, ICOM reaffirms the principle of inclusive representation. Governing bodies should reflect the diversity of the communities served by museums, promote shared decision-making processes, and foster models of collaboration based on transparency and participation. Working conditions must also be characterized by equity, respect for human rights, and efforts to combat job insecurity.
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| ICOM Adopts the New Code of Ethics for Museums: A Global Guide for the Future of the Sector |
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