<
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/08/trump-withdraws-united-states-iccrom-ifacca>
"In a memorandum released on 7 January, President Donald Trump announced that
he is withdrawing the United States from more than 60 international groups,
treaties, alliances and United Nations (UN) organisations, including global
organisations devoted to coordination between arts agencies and safeguarding
cultural heritage through preservation and restoration.
Trump’s memo alleges that the activities of the International Centre for the
Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and
International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), among
dozens of other agencies, fora and commitments run “contrary to the interests
of the United States”.
The US joined ICCROM during Richard Nixon’s first term as president, in 1971.
The non-governmental organisation was established in Rome in 1959 in response
to the widespread destruction of cultural heritage during the Second World War.
Its current list of member states numbers more than 130 countries, from
Afghanistan and Canada to the UK and Yemen. It conducts research, offers
courses and runs programmes on emergency safeguarding of heritage in crises,
preservation of digital and media collections, sustainability and more. The
centre is currently helmed by director-general Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral,
the first woman to lead the organisation.
The IFACCA, which is headquartered in Sydney, is made up of more than 90
national, international, regional and municipal arts organisations; the
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is its national member representing the
US, and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture is listed as an affiliate member.
The federation conducts research, holds summits and seminars, provides
fellowships and generally seeks to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between
arts agencies and cultural workers. Its current executive director is Magdalena
Moreno Mujica, a Chilean cultural administrator who previously served as the
head of international affairs at Chile’s National Council for Culture and the
Arts. (Trump has repeatedly sought to eliminate the NEA, and his Department of
Government Efficiency significantly reduced the agency's number of staff.)
Representatives for ICCROM and IFACCA did not respond to
The Art Newspaper’s
inquiries about the US’s withdrawal."
Via Joyce Donahue.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
