Standards on Accessioningof the International Council of Museums
INTRODUCTION
The following guidelines elaborate upon the principles expressed in the ICOM Code ofEthics for Museums concerning the acquisition and accessioning of objects for museum
collections.
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES“Museums have the duty to acquire, preserve and promote their collections as a contribution tosafeguarding the natural, cultural and scientific heritage. Their collections are a significant
public inheritance, have a special position in law and are protected by international legislation.
Inherent in this public trust is the notion of stewardship that includes rightful ownership,provenance, permanence, documentation, accessibility and responsible disposal”.1
ASSESSMENT
The decision to acquire an object (whether it is offered for purchase, donation, gift, loan,bequest, exchange, or as a result of return or restitution) and accession it into a
museum’s collection should be made thoughtfully, considering the nature of the object
and its provenance; the object’s cultural, aesthetic, historical, and/or scientificsignificance for exhibition, educational, or study purposes; the museum’s mission;2 andthe resources that will be required to care for, display, research, and provide access tothe object. These terms should be defined in the museum’s collections policy.
Consideration of the acquisition of an object originating from Indigenous Peoples should
be in accordance with national and international provisions, including the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.3 Museums must be satisfied that theacquisition of objects, in particular ceremonial objects, does not infringe on the rights ofaffected Indigenous Peoples practicing their cultural traditions and customs. Museums
should make every effort to consult with Indigenous Peoples and/or the respective
authorities in charge with regard to such objects prior to acquisition. Museums should not
1International Council of Museums, ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, Article 2.
Ibid. Article 1.2
3United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Articles 11 and 12.
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acquire human remains of Indigenous Peoples, except for the purpose of repatriation or toprovide a safe location to hold such remains, in accordance with the respective IndigenousPeoples.
Museums should consider also whether the prospective object has any special
requirements for preservation or storage that would make its maintenance difficult orimpracticable for the museum in the future. A museum should consider whether it would
have the resources necessary to care for the object well into the future and make itavailable in a professional and appropriate manner for exhibition and research.
When acquiring an object, whether by purchase or donation or any other way, museums
should exercise due diligence in verifying the object’s history and provenance.4 If amuseum is acquiring an object, the museum must verify whether the object was lawfullyobtained, lawfully exported and/or imported, and that no other legal provisions areviolated.5 In cases of both purchase and donation, museums should consider thetrustworthiness of the seller or donor and examine:1) available documents, including purchase contracts, insurance documents anddocumentation of prior ownership beyond the current owner;2) related customs documents including export and/or import licenses,
declarations of import or export; and
3) references in auction catalogues, inventories, or correspondence.
The object itself should be examined for evidence of damage that might have resulted fromillegal excavation, theft, looting, or suspicious restoration. In addition, objects should beexamined for previous inventory numbers or markings that may indicate that the object
originates from another collection or provides information about its provenance.
Databases, including but not limited to the following, can assist in determining whether anobject has been stolen, illegally exported, or otherwise may be a problematic acquisition:••••••••45

http://icom.museum/en/resources/red-lists/
www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Works-of-art/Works-of-art
www.lootedartcommission.com
www.lootedart.com
www.artloss.com/en
www.ifar.org
www.speciesplus.net
www.lostart.deInternational Council of Museums, ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, Article 2.3.
Ibid, Article 7.1.

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Museums must verify also if the object falls under specific national or international legal
protection. Those protections include, for example:•••••

1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict and its two Protocols of 1954 and 1999;
1970 UNESCO Convention on the Mean of Prohibition and Preventing the Illicit
Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property;
1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faunaand Flora (CITES);
1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects;
2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Objects with incomplete provenance should be acquired only when they are of
exceptional rarity and when it is reasonably certain that their origin, context, andprovenance can be established through research.

INTERNAL POLICIES REGARDING THE ACQUISITION OF COLLECTIONS
Museums should have a policy that thoroughly defines the acquisition process andaddresses legal and ethical principles and professional responsibilities.6 This policy
should be published, in print and digital format, online, and regularly be updated. Clear
terms should be defined regarding acquisition. Objects acquired should be in accord withthe museum’s mission as defined in the museum’s scope of collections statement orcollections profile,a) reflect the museum’s collecting objectives,b) fit in with prioritized focus areas where these exist, andc) have good title and provenance.
A museum’s collections policy should define the internal decision-making process forassessment and acquisition. It should specify the personnel that need to be involved andshould include permanent employees of the museum with relevant experience. The
director of the museum shall be responsible for the application and implementation of thepolicy. Outside consultants might be engaged if the museum does not have the requisite
expertise in-house. Both personnel who have the authority to recommend items for thecollection and those who must approve the acquisition should be identified. If possible, it
is desirable to involve multiple perspectives (e.g., curatorial, legal, educational, audiencedevelopment) in this process in order to ensure the quality of the collection. This processneeds to be documented and preserved in the museum's archive and the museum should
keep all documents involved in the acquisition process including a record of the decisionmaking process and the individuals involved.

6Ibid, Article 7.1

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The policy should address potential conflicts of interest in acquiring or accepting
donations of objects, even and particularly when these are donated by or purchased fromindividuals closely associated with the museum. In cases of acquisitions from governing
body members or museum staff or their family or close associates, it is especially
important to demonstrate that all relevant acquisition policies and procedures of themuseum have been followed strictly.
ACCESSIONING
Once a museum decides to acquire an object, it must be recorded in a museum’s
permanent collection through the formal process of Accessioning. At this time, it officiallybecomes the property of the museum or its governing authority and is recorded as anobject in a museum’s permanent collection. It should enter the museum's data base witha photograph and its description and should be published as a new acquisition in theannual report. The data base should contain information regarding its need of restoration,shape, size, material, age, provenance etc. All accompanying documentation related tothe object should be stored and preserved by the museum.

Guidelines developed by ETHCOM and approved by the Executive Board in December
2020. If you have questions and study cases related to the topic of this document pleasewrite to: ethics@icom.museum
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