In 2024, the National Committee of ICOM Georgia received and reviewed over 100 applications for individual, student, and institutional membership.

Among the applicants were Nika Akhalbedashvili (First Deputy General Director of the Georgian National Museum and director of the museum group), Nikoloz Aznaurashvili (General Director of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia), and Nino Chipashvili (Director of the G. Chitaia Ethnographic Museum of the Georgian National Museum and Ioseb Grishashvili Tbilisi History Museum). Additionally, institutions – Georgian National Museum, Art Palace – Museum of Cultural History, and Dadiani Palaces Historical-Architectural Museum applied for membership.

After a thorough review process guided by the ICOM Code of Museum Ethics, the applications mentioned above were not approved. This decision was made due to concerns that the recent activities of the applicants and institutions did not align with the values and principles of the international museum community, as outlined in several articles of the ICOM Code of Museum Ethics. Specifically, concerns were raised regarding principles such as Employment Policy, Collection Continuity, access to collections, sharing of knowledge and experience, adherence to national and local legislation, as well as professional responsibility, conduct, and academic and scientific responsibility.

The decision-making process was informed by concerns over personnel policy implementation since 2022, which included reorganization processes that violated professional ethics, dismissals based solely on interviews, restrictions on researchers’ access to collections, discrediting statements against ICOM Georgia, and limitations on the use of professional privileges by applicants with longstanding ICOM membership.

It is regrettable that, despite the historical and cultural significance of the museums mentioned above, the actions of their current management necessitated this decision by the ICOM Georgia Board.

ICOM Georgia remains open to reconsidering the applications of the aforementioned institutions should they demonstrate a commitment to developing policies in accordance with the principles of the ICOM Code of Museum Ethics and the values of the international museum community.

For further information on these issues, please refer to past statements issued by ICOM Georgia:

1. ICOM Georgia responds to the recent developments in the museum field in Georgia
2. Statement of ICOM National Committee in Georgia 
3. Statement of ICOM Georgia on the misinformation regarding the acceptance or non-acceptance of several museums as institutional members 
4. About restrictions and misinformation regarding free visits to several Georgian museums for holders of ICOM membership cards

Contact info: icomgeo@gmail.com