Every three years, ICOM brings together the international museum community, to exchange and tackle issues regarding the facilitation of cultural dissemination, protection and preservation in the museum network.
For the ICOM General Conference 2025, the network will gather again to find innovative solutions to diverse issues, all for the progress of our sector. During the virtual Annual Meetings of ICOM last week, we announced the candidacy of three different National Committees and host cities.
ICOM Russia, host city Kazan,
ICOM UAE, host city Dubai and
ICOM Sweden, host city Stockholm
ICOM RUSSIA, Theme statement – Bringing collective knowledge to each.
This conference will highlight the importance of the social role of museums in contributing to the education and collective knowledge of humanity, in line with the Sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Knowing fully well that museums accompany humanity along in evolution, their role to serve as information hubs and bring people together is important. Due to the effect of the pandemic on the museum sector, and the new modern times have surfaced, museum’s social role is needed in multi-ethnic and poly-cultural aspects which can aid equal accessibility using flexible means of communication in a language that everyone understands.
To contribute to the development of the SDGs, museums can implement quality education, gender equality and innovation. The conference will basically be about the social role of museums and focus on education as well as effects of the pandemic on the museum sector.
ICOM UAE, Theme statement – The Future of Museums in rapidly changing communities
This theme will explain the interconnection between museums and rapidly changing communities. Marking the events of the past, compared to the recent events that have brought about accelerated change to the world we live in today, now speaks and shows the need as to why museums have to integrate with the community for a better future.
This theme is sub-themed into inclusion and accessibility, digital experience to offer upgraded experiences while museums redefine their relationships with digital communities and also keeping to heart the collections. Another theme in this conference will be sustainability, collaboration and cooperation that involves exchange programs which will make communities more responsive in the face of changes, caring for local audiences needs and finding ways to connect with them.
ICOM UAE proposes that the conference is linked to change, recovery, accessibility, transparency as they are current socio-political topics across the globe.
ICOM SWEDEN – Theme statement – The museum sector we need for a world we want. Ways to agenda 2030 and beyond.
This title was proposed because of the need to set up a plan to forge ahead and contribute to what has been done already in the past 5 years in terms of Sustainable Development, and prepare for the 5 years after 2025 by organising conferences, meetings, consultations, workshops or regional round tables in the year towards the agenda 2030.
That way, more can be done than just people reporting their projects at the time of ICOM Stockholm 2025, and in preparation for this, all sectors have to be involved; ranging from indigenous groups, public interest groups, UN agencies and academia.
In preparation for the ICOM General Conference, ICOM Sweden also proposes to renew ICOM’s commitment to achieving the sustainability development goals, and taking a part in ensuring that museums are not only following the 2030 Agenda, but also taking steps and working together towards playing an active role in achieving the successor agenda.
Following a site inspection of the venues by the Secretariat, the Advisory Council will vote for a candidate in the November 2021 virtual session, before a final approval by the ICOM Executive Board in December 2021.