Historically, museums have been viewed primarily as places to store and protect precious artworks and artifacts. Exhibitions are traditionally organized chronologically, geographically, or by category, and they have long provided an encyclopedic or highly focused summary of the evolution of human culture and creativity over the centuries. The early concept of museums had much to do with the fact that these institutions emerged alongside the modern nation-state. They become institutions that help shape a shared national narrative, serving as both civic classrooms and symbolic apparatuses of the state: public tools for organizing knowledge, identity, and power.
Society has changed dramatically since then, with museums moving from a model on par with temples and archives to one that emphasizes each institution’s responsibility to the public. The new paradigm places greater emphasis on the social role of museums in communities, with institutions responding with missions centered on engagement, accessibility, diversity, accountability and sustainability.
And there is still room for change. Earlier this year, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) voted to adopt a revised code of ethics for museums, further emphasizing their social role and civic function in a changing world where racial divisions and political tensions are deepening.
The revised guidelines are still based on the latest official definition of “museum” approved in Prague in 2022, which describes a “non-profit permanent institution at the service of society” that “researches, collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage” while remaining “open, accessible and inclusive to the public”, promoting “diversity and sustainability”, “with the professional participation of the community”, and in an ethical and inclusive manner “with the professional participation of the community” “Education, enjoyment, reflection and sharing of knowledge.” In a compromise between traditional and radical positions, this definition insists that museums cannot simply protect heritage. They must also take responsibility for how it is interpreted, for whom it is served, and who is involved in creating meaning.
Recognizing the diversity of museums around the world, the revised Code of Ethics for Museums establishes common ethical principles on issues ranging from governance and education to museums’ relationship with society. But far from being rigid, it allows for flexible implementation in different cultural, legal, professional and resource contexts. It is accompanied by practical guidance to help museums and their staff apply these principles in their daily operations.
The International Council of Museums identifies technology as one of the three major challenges facing museums, as artificial intelligence reshapes people’s understanding of history, culture, science, creativity and art. The climate crisis cannot be unsolved: the organization urges museums to raise awareness among their audiences while making concrete efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. Finally, as ongoing restitution cases remind us, the revised Code invites museums to publicly confront the role they play in shaping the power dynamics within the colonial frameworks within which museums are often built.
Five core principles of the Museum Code of Ethics:
1. Serve the society
The document describes museums as civic, inclusive and restorative institutions that serve society through the conservation and interpretation of tangible, intangible and digital heritage. Naming digital heritage alongside tangible and intangible heritage is a significant expansion that is also reflected in UNESCO’s latest report. Museums should work with diverse individuals and communities and use this shared heritage to initiate dialogue, uphold human rights, practice social justice and promote peace in times of polarization and division. “When opposing opinions or conflicts arise due to cultural differences, museums should serve as safe spaces for dialogue and the promotion of mutual understanding,” the document reads, giving museums an almost radical role in defending today’s fragile peace.
Promoting inclusive participation and combating all forms of discrimination become central to the museum’s mission. The mission also includes long-term plans to address social exclusion, promote equitable opportunities and continually pursue social, environmental, cultural and financial sustainability.
2. Professionalism
The code now includes advice for museum staff on workplace ethics, safety and digital responsibilities. Like UNESCO’s latest report, it recognizes that digital tools are not neutral infrastructure; they reshape knowledge, ownership, representation and risk. Therefore, museum leaders should monitor digital tools, assess their benefits and ensure they “do no harm.” Staff using them are asked to consider ethical implications, environmental impacts, potential for misinformation and impacts on intellectual property rights, indigenous rights and data sovereignty.
The Code also contains provisions regarding conflicts of interest. “Each museum should develop and publish a policy for accepting gifts, favors, loans, invitations or other benefits to help staff and volunteers avoid conflicts of interest,” it states. “Everyone who works in or with museums should actively work to prevent the illegal trafficking of cultural property,” the subsequent principles read.
3. Education
The document is not a classroom or an encyclopedia, but describes the museum as a platform for sharing knowledge and promoting reflection on the objects and content it owns and displays. This wording marks a major shift away from the old, top-down notion of a museum as a place that educates the public from a position of authority. Instead, it emphasizes dialogue, lifelong learning, multilingual and intercultural communication, active learning and critical thinking.
Special emphasis is placed on respecting and engaging with the traditional knowledge, practices, languages, laws, rights and customs of Aboriginal peoples. More broadly, the code calls for working with local and other communities to display and display items relevant to them. This is important because it expands the scope of legitimate knowledge within the museum. Institutions are encouraged not to impose external interpretations on traditional knowledge and belief systems, but to work with the communities that generate these knowledge and belief systems to construct narratives and explanations. The guidelines state: “To enhance social relevance, inclusivity and meaningful engagement, audience feedback should be incorporated into project development.”
Community engagement is particularly relevant to restorative practices, a key call in the document: museums should acknowledge and help repair past injustices, support cultural rights, and enable communities to reconnect with their histories. On the education side, the document also calls for a renewed focus on the use of technology in educational events, exhibitions and publications: “Museums should maintain awareness of how digital media and digital technologies impact users and ensure that measures are taken to protect the physical, mental and emotional well-being of their visitors.”
4. Collection Management
Collections remain at the heart of every museum’s function and are once again described as the tangible, intangible and digital heritage “commissioned by society” to preserve. However, the Code states that collections should no longer be viewed as isolated museum property: calling for respect for the diverse perspectives and rights of heritage museum communities.
For human remains and the cultural artifacts and creative expressions containing them, the guidelines recommend that decisions be made in partnership with descendants or communities of origin where known. Acquisitions, whether through purchase, gift, loan, bequest or exchange, require more stringent due diligence standards and procedures. “Museums should ensure that all objects are acquired in compliance with applicable laws regulating the ownership, import, export and transfer of cultural or natural materials. Museums should avoid acquiring objects from occupied territories,” the document recommends. The document urges museums to research and determine the origin and complete history of objects before acquiring them. Ethical selling policies and responsible use of technology to support collection research are also encouraged.
5. Governance
As for what governance in museums should look like today, the Code puts transparency and autonomy at the center. It also highlights the relatively new concept of “shared authority”: museums are invited to define themselves and shape their programming through co-creation and collaboration with the communities they serve and represent. “Governing bodies should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve and strive for inclusive representation and leadership,” the code says.
The Code recognizes that museums are not-for-profit, permanent institutions whose governing bodies are responsible for long-term sustainability and public service. It requires museums to disclose their legal status, nonprofit certification and core documents. They will also develop policies regarding solicitations, fundraising, institutional integrity, board and staff diversity, and emergency response. The document emphasizes that autonomy is necessary to resist financial or political influence that could compromise the museum’s mission or values and to ensure that revenue-generating activities do not undermine the integrity of the institution. Care and respect for staff is considered vital, especially as growing union and internal protests test the museum’s stability and reputation.
If the 2022 definition expands the museum to be an accessible, inclusive, ethical and participatory institution, the revised guidelines ask what this means in day-to-day operations. Who has access to the museum? Who is involved in sharing their knowledge? Who controls data and information? How are different forms of heritage treated and how are workers and communities protected? How should museums behave at a time when the climate crisis, digital disruption and the legacy of colonialism are still unresolved? In essence, the 2026 Code transforms museums from guardians of objects into networks of social and civic obligations. Collections remain at the heart of museums’ work, but communities and workers are recognized as the soul that shapes meaning and determines institutional impact. This distinction is important in the context of contested histories, digital futures, climate risks, and an increasingly polarized public sphere.