On 22 November 2024, ICCROM and ICOM renewed their longstanding partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their shared commitment to conserving, developing, and utilizing museum collections as invaluable assets for the benefit of humanity.
Over the years, our collaboration with ICOM has included significant initiatives such as joint publications and translations, collaboration on capacity building and advocacy efforts, active participation in each other's governance structures.
This renewed partnership aims to address the challenges and opportunities faced by museums in today’s rapidly changing environment to fully unlock the potential of collections-based work to support people, planet, prosperity, and peace.
“With this renewed strategic partnership, we will combine our expertise and global networks to enhance the protection of museums in times of crisis, improve the conservation and accessibility of museum collections in storage, and promote sustainable development through collections-based work. We’ll continue to develop capacity in museum professionals worldwide, with a particular focus on African museums, and through the joint development of capacity-building initiatives and online training resources,” said ICCROM’s Director-General, Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral.
“Today, we have reached an important milestone in strengthening the relationship between our organizations. I want to emphasize that education is the key to progress in our rapidly changing world. It is not only about transferring knowledge from the past to the present, but also about training people and shape the future” stated Emma Nardi, ICOM's President
With this MoU, ICCROM and ICOM reaffirm their dedication to empowering museums as guardians of cultural heritage and agents of positive change, prioritizing Education for Sustainable Development.