Paris. Adopted on June 25 at the general assembly, the renovated version of the Code of Ethics of the Icom (International Council of Museums) affirms the five main principles which must guide the action of museums. The previous Code dated from 2004 and no longer corresponded to the issues that museums currently face: climate change, fight against inequalities, responsibility in the face of historical trauma. Icom specifies that the examination and revision of the code took place between 2020 and 2025, during several working sessions and seminars, emphasizing the cooperative dimension and transparency of the process.
“Working for social justice”
Five principles structure the new Code: society, professionalism, education, collections and governance. In these different chapters we note the presence of current themes such as inclusiveness, the essential nature of reliable information, indigenous populations and ecology. The first chapter deals with the social role of the museum and interactions with its environment, taking as a guideline the “museum at the service of society” : the museum must thus “working for social justice” and be a “safe space conducive to dialogue”. No mention of neutrality here, the museum is envisaged as a politically engaged institution even if this is not explicitly written. The rights of indigenous populations are also widely cited, in connection with the question of the fight against exclusion as well as that of objects to be “sacredness” in museum collections. The part on professionalism is more restricted and essentially repeats the “good practices” already present in the previous Code, with a focus on the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property that all museum staff must implement.
It is education and collections that occupy the heart of the new Code, with directions clearly influenced by postcolonial studies and progressive trends. Here again the emphasis is on indigenous peoples: “Tangible and intangible indigenous heritage as well as traditional knowledge require prior free consent before being used within the framework of museum activities. » Indigenous cultures and traditional knowledge are considered of equal importance with scientific knowledge, itself presented as the foundation of museum content in another section of the Code.
Restitutions: an “opening to dialogue” with the countries of origin
Another complex subject, the role of museums in relation to history and its traumas: museums must “repair past injustices”, particularly towards indigenous peoples and colonized populations, to enable them to “reconnect with their history”, according to the terms of the Code. The indigenous question also arises regarding provenance, with recommendations for a “restricted use” leftovers or even a ” repatriation “ in the communities of origin. Concerning restitution requests by countries of origin, the Code recommends a “openness to dialogue” and encourages museums to engage “voluntarily” discussions if the provenance proves doubtful. This is undoubtedly the main change compared to the 2004 Code, with an integration into the ethics of practices that were hitherto ad hoc in museums.
As for governance, the Code recalls the principle of autonomy of museums, which must “maintain control” of the content they produce. We note that the management of a museum must today guarantee “the resources necessary for the sustainability of the museum”, a subject already mentioned regarding the role of museums in the transmission of knowledge and heritage. This new Code therefore specifies the scope of action of museums in the 21st century by giving them a more political role, while conceding that the situation and resources of museums differ greatly from one establishment to another.
