IC Security in collaboration with ICOM Ukraine, ICOM Germany, the West Ukrainian Museums Association and UNESCO Hub Lviv
November, 25th -28th 2026
Lviv, Ukraine

Scope and Topic

Cultural heritage in war is not merely collateral damage, but often a deliberate target aimed at erasing cultural identity, collective memory, and the sovereignty of an independent nation. The devastating statistics on cultural heritage losses in Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian full-scale invasion, as of 1 July 2026, there are 540 cultural sites that have been verified as damaged1. These include 155 religious sites, 281 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 43 museums, 33 monuments, 22 libraries, 5 archaeological sites, 1 archive, and arts education institutions—places that profoundly shape Ukrainian identity and memory. Clearly, this is a genocidal war against Ukrainian identity and nationhood. There is also a tremendous loss of human capital in the sector.

The expert network of ICOM IC Security is serving as a unique platform for professional exchanges on risk management and security challenges in war, countering military threats and discussing a renewed framework of responsibility for cultural heritage.

This IC SECURITY conference invites museum and security professionals and researchers from ICOM and beyond, to explore how museums can respond in a mutual exchange with Ukrainian colleagues to the following challenges:

• Museum security aspects in conflict and war
• Specific challenges of illicit traffic in conflict and war
• Cyber security for museums
• Challenges in “psychological” or “social” security for museums
• The “human factor” in times of crisis for museum security

The conference shall have a working character with both Keynotes and PechaKucha presentations and facilitated and moderated discussions, and will be protocolled and recorded for later electronic publication.

Read the full Call for Papers.