The publishers express that museums are not isolated institutions, they are part of the fabric of society. Today, more than ever, museums are expected to respond to social developments while staying true to their core mission: preserving, researching, and sharing heritage. In response to these challenges, FARO (the Flemish Institution for Cultural Heritage), ICOM Belgium Flanders, and Vlaams Museumoverleg XL have jointly published a charter.
The charter encourages reflection by raising key questions:
- What does it mean for a museum to have a social role?
- Should a museum take a stand on current issues?
- Who speaks on behalf of the institution—directors, boards, or staff?
- How should museums engage with communities?
- What boundaries must be defined and respected?
- How autonomous are museums in practice?
At the core of the charter are five ethical principles, aligning with the current international discussions at ICOM and inspired by the upcoming update of the ICOM Code of Ethics. The aim of the charter is to spark ongoing dialogue between museums, policymakers, communities, and the wider cultural field. In the coming months, FARO will also conduct a study exploring how museums and their stakeholders view the balance between autonomy, social responsibility, and institutional focus.
The charter is one of many documents in the last months that echoes the findings of NEMO’s Barometer on political pressure on museums, which was published at the beginning of the year.
- Access the full charter (in Dutch)
