On this Earth Day, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) is pleased to announce that it has become an official supporter of the Global Coalition #UnitedforBiodiversity and pledges to engage its network in the common effort to overcome the ecological emergency, with a trio of challenges in the shape of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution.
We add our voice to more than 200 institutions and 36 organisations that have responded to the call launched by the European Commmission. World museums, zoos, aquariums, national parks, research centres, universities and botanic gardens are invited to join forces and speak up ahead of the crucial 15th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CoP 15) in China this year.
“It is a real honour for the European Commission to welcome the International Council of Museums as yet another official supporter of our Global Coalition “United for Biodiversity”. This is a new chapter in the fight against the nature crisis. In addition to natural history and science museums, it is now the turn of art, history, architecture or maritime museums to speak up for nature. Thanks to them, we will have dozens of new allies to inform all world citizens and to call on all countries to be ambitious at the CoP 15 Biodiversity Summit.”
Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries
“International Museum Day 2021 celebrates ‘The Future of Museums’: we call on all our 49.000 members worldwide to advocate for a future in which respect for nature and biodiversity is a non-negotiable imperative. We call on all museums to engage their communities in finding solutions to the ecological emergency, and to demand swift and thoughtful action on biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution.“
Alberto Garlandini, ICOM President