International Council of Museums

International Council of Museums (ICOM)
Formation1946; 78 years ago (1946)
TypeNon-governmental organization
PurposeConservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage
Location
Coordinates48°50′44″N 2°18′23″E / 48.8455°N 2.3063°E / 48.8455; 2.3063
Websiteicom.museum

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with UNESCO[1][2] and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1946, ICOM also partners with entities such as the World Intellectual Property Organization,[3] Interpol,[4] and the World Customs Organization in order to carry out its international public service missions, which include fighting illicit traffic in cultural goods and promoting risk management and emergency preparedness to protect world cultural heritage in the event of natural or man-made disasters. Members of the ICOM get the ICOM membership card, which provides free entry, or entry at a reduced rate, to many museums all over the world.[5]

  1. ^ (in English) "UNESCO/ICOM Museum Studies Training Programme". unesco.org.
  2. ^ (in English) "ICOM among UNESCO's Partners". unesco.org.
  3. ^ (in English) "Partnership between ICOM and WIPO". wipo.int. Archived from the original on 2022-09-01. Retrieved 2012-08-23.
  4. ^ (in English) "Partnership between ICOM and INTERPOL". interpol.int. Archived from the original on 2015-05-14. Retrieved 2012-08-23.
  5. ^ "Benefits". network.icom.museum. Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-11-04.