The 40th ICOM Ordinary General Assembly adopts six Resolutions shaping the future of museums

On 14 November 2025, the 40th ICOM Ordinary General Assembly, held during the 27th ICOM General Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, adopted six Resolutions that will guide the organisation's mission and help shape its policies over the next three years.

Held from 11 to 17 November 2025 in Dubai (UAE), the 27^th ICOM General Conference brought the organisation to the MESA region for the first time. The event gathered thousands of museum professionals, scholars, policymakers, and partners to explore how museums can remain dynamic and relevant amid rapid societal and technological transformation. With keynote lectures, interactive debates, workshops, and an engaging social and scientific programme, the conference provided an immersive journey through the UAE's diverse cultural landscape. Held under the theme "The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities", the General Conference produced a series of major outcomes that will shape ICOM's work in the upcoming years. Among these, the Resolutions adopted by the 40^th ICOM Ordinary General Assembly stand out as key decisions that will help redefine the organisation and the global museum community.

As defined in the ICOM Statutes, the ICOM Resolutions are formal statements adopted every three years by the Ordinary General Assembly in the framework of the General Conference. In 2025, the 27^th General Conference theme "The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities" shaped the scope of the Resolutions, which centred on three interconnected sub-themes:

• intangible heritage,
• youth power, and
• new technologies.

More information on the ICOM Resolutions

In accordance with the Resolutions procedure, the Resolutions adopted in Dubai (UAE) were collected, reviewed, drafted and translated by the ICOM Resolutions Committee. It consists of a Chair, five to nine members, as well as the ICOM President and Director General as ex officio members.

The Resolutions Committee, which oversaw the process leading to the adoption of six (6) resolutions in Dubai (UAE), is composed of the following members:

• Penelope Theologi-Gouti (ICOM Greece), Chair;
• Marco Antonio Chavez Aguayo (ICOM Mexico);
• Omar Idtnaine (ICOM Morocco);
• Liu Gaoli (ICOM Japan);
• Astghik Marabyan (ICOM Armenia);
• Mohsen Ghanooni (ICOM Iran);
• Zahida Quadri (ICOM Pakistan);
• Agathe Sanon (ICOM Burkina Faso);
• Mark Swiney (ICOM USA);
• Laura Zani (ICOM Switzerland) .

Ahead of the 40^th Ordinary General Assembly, the Resolutions Committee hosted a session on 12 November 2025 entitled "ICOM Resolutions: Legaçy & Implementation". It highlighted both the historic legacy of ICOM Resolutions since 1946, as well as the practical strategies for implementing them, especially the 2025 Resolutions, in daily professional practice. By bridging the symbolic and operational dimensions of ICOM's work, the session emphasised how ICOM Resolutions may influence institutional priorities, promote international cooperation, and shape the museum sector's response to contemporary challenges. It highlighted, before the vote of the Resolutions, how impactful these texts can be for the organisation and the larger museum community.

During the sessions, it was emphasised that all ICOM bodies and organs are invited to familiarise themselves with the 2025 ICOM Resolutions and ensure their integration into their daily activities and operations

The 40^th Ordinary General Assembly adopted the six (6) following Resolutions:

Resolution 1: "Empowering Future Generations through Intangible Heritage"

This Resolution calls for museums to actively engage in the preservation and transmission of intangible heritage, particularly through respectful collaboration with Indigenous peoples and local communities. The Resolution encourages museums in particular to:

• integrate traditional knowledge into exhibitions and programmes;
• include community representatives in decision-making processes;
• use digital technologies (virtual reality, augmented reality, digital archives) to broaden access;
• create safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue, especially engaging youth and marginalised groups.

Resolution 1 advocates for a resilient and community-focused approach to the preservation of memory.

Resolution 2: "Protection of Museum Collections and Support to Museum Professionals in Times of Crisis"

This Resolution underscores the importance of crisis preparedness, urging museums to:

• maintain comprehensive physical and digital inventories;
• support the systematic documentation of cultural collections and assist institutions in countries affected by conflict in establishing inventories and digital copies;
• ensure information accessibility to support provenance research and fight illicit trafficking.

The Resolution also invites the strengthening of coordination mechanisms between ICOM and its partners, including organisations like UNESCO, INTERPOL, as well as other NGOs, in order to deploy timely and effective responses in times of crisis.

Resolution 3: "Positioning Museums for an Equitable, Ethical, and Sustainable Digital Future through Technologies"

Resolution 3 focuses on the ethical and sustainable use of digital technologies. It encourages museums in particular to:

• promote educational content on peace, climate change, and global justice;
• ensure digital accessibility, multilingual resources, and open-source tools that support knowledge exchange and digital equity;
• invest in staff digital skills and adopt immersive technologies responsibly.

This Resolution also recommends establishing an ICOM Working Group on Digital Ethics and Artificial Intelligence to provide proper guidance, ethical and legal standards, as well as tools for museums navigating digital transformation.

Resolution 4: "Empowering Museums in Achieving the SDGs through Youth by Means of Social Inclusion and Climate Action"

This Resolution calls on museums to:

• create inclusive cultural venues for children and young people;
• provide accessible programming, including for children with disabilities;
• support youth-led climate action and SDG-focused initiatives;
• develop sustainable financial models to strengthen their sustainability and their social role as inclusive spaces.

Resolution 5: "Enhancing Emergency Preparedness in Museums and Promoting Resilient Museums and Communities"

To strengthen institutional resilience, museums should:

• identify vulnerabilities and develop tailored disaster-preparedness plans;
• provide ongoing staff training,
• collaborate with emergency agencies, NGOs, and community partners.

Resolution 6: "Establishment of a Standing Committee on Decolonisation"

Building on the Working Group on Decolonisation (established in July 2023), this Resolution formalises ICOM's commitment by creating a Standing Committee on Decolonisation.

The Standing Committee will:

• promote cross-regional dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and best practices on decolonisation within the global museum community;
• ensure representation from former colonies, former colonial powers, Indigenous peoples, and legal experts.

The committee's mandate aligns with ICOM's Strategic Plan 2022-2028 and aims to advance global discussions on restitution, representation, and historical accountability.

The resolutions were successfully adopted and approved unanimously by the ICOM General Assembly.

The adoption of these Resolutions by the 40^th Ordinary General Assembly reinforces ICOM's commitment to supporting museums as agents of cultural preservation, social inclusion, ethical transformation, and community resilience. Together, they provide a forward-looking roadmap for museums navigating rapid change and seeking to fulfil their mission in an increasingly complex world.

You can find the full text of the 2025 ICOM Resolutions below:

40^th Ordinary General Assembly Resolutions