Declarations and statements

As the only NGO which represents museums and museum professionals in the world, ICOM publishes public statements and declarations on issues that have impacts on cultural heritage and the museum profession

• Declaration on the protection of archives, libraries, museums and heritage places during armed conflicts and political instability (2024)
• Statement condemning violence against people and their cultural heritage (2024)
• Statement concerning Israel and Palestine (2023)
• Statement: Museums and Climate Activism (2022)
• Statement concerning the Russian invasion into Ukraine (2022)
• Statement concerning the situation facing cultural heritage in Afghanistan (2021)
• ICOMOS, ICA, IFLA & ICOM – Statement on Nagorno Karabakh (2020)
• Statement of solidarity with Lebanon and support to recover the damaged cultural heritage in Beirut (2020)
• ICOM and ICOMOS Joint Statement on Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey) (2020)
• Statement on the necessity for relief funds for museums during the COVID-19 crisis (2020)
• Statement on the independence of museums (2020)

• President’s statement on the alignment of ICOM with the UN Agenda 2030 (2019)
• Statement regarding the Ethiopian Airlines crash: In memory of Sebastiano Tusa (2019)
• Joint statement/call ICOM-ICOMOS (2019)
• ICOM statement on the necessity for adequate public funding for museums (2018)
• Statement regarding the devastating fire in the National Museum of Brazil (2018)
• ICOM’s statement on the independence of museums (2018)
• ICOM’s statement on Natural Disasters Affecting Cultural Heritage (2017)
• ICOM’s statement on President Trump’s 27 January Executive Order (2017)
• ICOM’s statement concerning the Protection of Cultural Property and the Amendment of the Law in Germany (2015)
• ICOM’s statement concerning Exceptions to Copyright (2015)
• Appeal to the European Parliament and Commission, to the Parliaments and Governments of European Countries and to Regional and Local Governments Support Culture and Museums to Face the Global Crisis and Build the Future (2013)
• Declaration of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM) for worldwide Sustainable Cultural Tourism (2007)
• Illicit traffic on internet. Appeal from ICOM, UNESCO and Interpol (2007)
• Statement by the President of ICOM on current legal actions against museums for the return of illegally exported cultural property (especially Italy Vs the J Paul Getty Museum) (2006)
• Promoting the use of Mediation in Resolution of disputes over the Ownership of objects in Museum Collections: Statement by the President of ICOM Alissandra Cummins (2006)
• Museums, Intangible Heritage and Globalisation – The Shanghai Charter (2002)
• Appeal to Assist the National Museum of Afghanistan (2002)
• Arusha Appeal (1993)