Strengthening Museum Security to Protect Cultural Heritage

The recent theft of two paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir from the Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, is a stark reminder of the growing security challenges facing museums and cultural institutions worldwide. It has, once again highlighted the urgent need to strengthen security and resilience across the museum sector.

As ICOM Director General Medea Ekner underlines:"The growing number and sophistication of security challenges facing museums and cultural institutions require urgent, coordinated and forward-looking approaches. Protecting our shared cultural heritage is a collective responsibility, and tackling this growing challenge will require strong international cooperation, expertise and decisive action."

ICOM and INTERPOL are working together to assess the scale and changing nature of these challenges, including through a sector-wide survey. Its findings, to be published next year, will help identify where museums most need support and inform the development of practical measures to strengthen security across the sector.

This work will pave the way for the launch of Museum Security Guidelines for museums in 2028, providing the museum community with concrete guidance to better protect collections and cultural heritage.

As the initiative progresses, ICOM is also strengthening its work on Museum security.

ICOM International Committee for Museum Security's work

ICOM-INTERPOL initiative

Image - Hills around Bay of Moulin Huet, Guernsey, by Auguste Renoir, 1883, French impressionist painting. Renoir painted views of the bay and the beach of Moulin Huet, on the island's south coast during his visit of summer 1883 (BSLOC_2017_3_89)