As museums around the world continue to evolve from repositories of artifacts into dynamic spaces for learning, dialogue, and community engagement, Jakarta is preparing to host one of the museum sector's most significant international gatherings. The ICOM CECA Annual Conference 2026 will bring hundreds of museum professionals, educators, and cultural leaders to Indonesia, highlighting the growing role of museums in fostering inclusion, preserving heritage, and connecting people across cultures. For the first time since the International Committee for Education and Cultural Action (ICOM CECA) was established in 1968, Indonesia has been selected to host its prestigious annual conference, marking a major milestone for the country's museum sector and its growing presence in the global cultural community.
Museums in Divided Times
Scheduled for 9–14 November 2026 in Jakarta, the conference is expected to bring together more than 200 museum professionals from over 50 countries, including museum directors, curators, educators, researchers, and cultural practitioners.
Ahead of the conference, a press briefing was held on 9 July 2026 in the Tempo Doeloe Room, Building G, 2nd Floor of Jakarta City Hall, bringing together Mochamad Miftahulloh Tamary, Head of the Jakarta Provincial Culture Office, and Nofa Farida Lestari, Director of Musee ID. Joining virtually via Zoom were Wencke Maderbacher, President of ICOM CECA, along with numerous international museum professionals, educators, and cultural observers from around the world. The briefing underscored Indonesia's preparedness to host one of the world's foremost forums on museum education and reaffirmed the country's growing role in advancing international collaboration in the museum and cultural heritage sector.
Carrying the theme "Museums in Divided Times: How to Foster Dialogue, Caring and a Sense of Belonging?", the conference explores one of today's most pressing global questions: how museums can help bridge social, cultural, and political divides.
Beyond preserving artifacts, museums are increasingly recognized as spaces for education, inclusion, intercultural dialogue, and community engagement. Throughout the six-day conference, delegates will participate in plenary sessions, academic presentations, intensive workshops, and the internationally recognized Best Practice Award, which celebrates excellence in museum education. Participants will also visit some of Jakarta's most prominent heritage sites, including Museum Bank Indonesia, Museum Sejarah Jakarta, and the historic Onrust Archaeological Island, showcasing Indonesia's rich cultural legacy and innovative approaches to museum learning.
As renowned museologist Georges Henri Rivière, one of the founders of modern museology, once observed:
"The museum is a mirror in which a community sees itself."
The 2026 conference seeks to reinforce precisely that role in an increasingly interconnected world.
Jakarta Strengthens Its Global Cultural Profile
For Jakarta, hosting ICOM CECA represents more than organizing an international conference—it reinforces the city's ambition to become a global cultural capital ahead of its 500th anniversary in 2027.
The Jakarta Provincial Government has committed major facilities at Taman Ismail Marzuki while coordinating with museums and cultural institutions across the city to ensure a successful event. The conference is the result of nearly three years of collaboration between the Jakarta Culture Office, Musee ID, and ICOM CECA.
As Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, has said:
"Museums are not just places where history is preserved; they are places where futures are imagined."
His words reflect the conference's vision of museums as institutions that inspire dialogue, creativity, and social change.
Indonesia's Museums on the Global Stage
Indonesia is home to more than 450 museums, reflecting the country's extraordinary cultural diversity and historical richness. In recent years, museums have undergone significant transformation through digital innovation, interactive exhibitions, educational programming, and stronger community participation.
According to UNESCO, there are now more than 95,000 museums worldwide, serving millions of visitors every year while increasingly embracing accessibility, technology, and community-centered programming. Across Indonesia, museums are likewise redefining themselves as vibrant public spaces that connect history with contemporary issues and younger generations.
The conference also highlights Indonesia's growing leadership in Southeast Asia's museum ecosystem. Organized in collaboration with Musee ID, ICOM Indonesia, ICOM Germany, Goethe-Institut Jakarta, Museum Bank Indonesia, Museum Mandiri, and other cultural partners, the event will showcase Indonesian best practices in heritage preservation, museum education, and public engagement.
Museums Shaping the Future
The ICOM CECA Annual Conference 2026 arrives at a pivotal moment for museums worldwide. As societies navigate rapid technological change, cultural diversity, and global challenges, museums are increasingly expected to become spaces where people can learn, exchange ideas, and build mutual understanding.
As author and historian David McCullough once remarked:
"History is who we are and why we are the way we are."
That belief lies at the heart of ICOM CECA's mission—to use museums not only to preserve history, but also to inspire future generations through education and cultural dialogue.
At the conclusion of the press conference, Nofa Farida Lestari, Director of Musee ID, presented a commemorative book to Mochamad Miftahulloh Tamary, Head of the Jakarta Provincial Culture Office, as a token of appreciation for the Jakarta Provincial Government's support in hosting the ICOM CECA Annual Conference 2026. The gesture symbolized the strong partnership between cultural institutions and government in advancing museum education, heritage preservation, and international cultural collaboration in Indonesia.
As delegates gather in Jakarta this November, the conference will showcase Indonesia not only as a nation rich in cultural heritage, but also as an active contributor to the future of museum education, innovation, and international cooperation. More importantly, it will reaffirm that museums remain among society's most powerful spaces for preserving memory, fostering inclusion, and shaping a more connected and compassionate world.
