The Slovak Committee of ICOM (hereinafter SK ICOM) supports and fully aligns itself with the positions of the Council of Galleries of Slovakia, the Union of Museums of Slovakia, as well as other cultural institutions and organizations that oppose unprofessional and undemocratic interference by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. We have particularly received with concern the decision of the Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic, Martina Šimkovičová, to revoke the instruction of the previous Minister of Culture, Natália Milanová, regarding the non-establishment of official cooperation with cultural institutions of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus during the time of military conflict (Minister’s Decision No. 3/2024 dated 12 January 2024). The International Council of Museums (ICOM – a non-governmental non-profit organization of museums and museum professionals at UNESCO) strongly condemned the violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine by the military forces of the Russian Federation (https://icom.museum/en/news/statement-russia-invasion-into-ukraine/).

One of the fundamental missions of ICOM is not only to represent the interests of Slovak museums, galleries, and other collecting institutions, as well as museum professionals, but also to establish professional and ethical standards and to support the professionalization in the field of museology (Statutes of SK ICOM, Article II). In this spirit, the Slovak Committee of ICOM recommends that the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic establish communication and a balanced dialogue with museums, galleries, and other cultural institutions, as only an open dialogue can ensure democratic searching for solutions.

the SK ICOM committee
in Bratislava 26 January 2024