Statement: ICOM Calls for Protection of Museums and Cultural Heritage Amid Conflict in Iran, the Gulf Region and the Eastern Mediterranean

The International Council of Museums – ICOM expresses deep concern over the protection of museums and cultural heritage. 

ICOM expresses its serious concern over the recent conflict in Iran, the Gulf Region and the Eastern Mediterranean, its humanitarian impact, as well as the risks facing museums and cultural heritage sites. We are alarmed by reports of serious damage to cultural sites in the region, confirmed by intergovernmental organisations such as UNESCO. 

ICOM is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with its National Committees and partners in the region and internationally, in line with its core commitment to the protection of cultural heritage. We remain attentive to the safety and well-being of our members in the affected areas as well as all professionals working to safeguard cultural heritage. ICOM underlines the need to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians.  

ICOM calls upon all parties to respect their obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols and reiterates its call to all parties to comply with their international legal obligations to safeguard cultural heritage. ICOM supports statements already published by partner organisations and refers to the ICOM Statement for Peace, and the Declaration on the protection of archives, libraries, museums and heritage places during armed conflicts and political instability. 

The destruction of heritage is not only a local tragedy; it is a loss for all humankind. We must come together, through dialogue, cooperation, and respect to preserve the cultural bridges that connect our shared past to a more peaceful future.