ICCROM - Our Collections Matter (OCM), Action Plan for Greece 2025-2028. Empowering Sustainable Development through Museums and Libraries.
The Hellenic Ministry of Culture is participating in the ICCROM international programme Our Collections Matter as a National Node for Museums.
The "Our Collections Matter" (OCM) programme is an initiative of ICCROM – the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property – aimed at leveraging the collections of cultural institutions, museums, and libraries to promote sustainable development. Greece is participating in the programme through two National Nodes: the Ministry of Culture and the National Library of Greece, representing archaeological museums and libraries respectively.
As part of the three-year pilot phase of the programme, two departments of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage – the Directorate of Archaeological Museums, Exhibitions and Educational Programmes, and the Directorate for the Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments – will jointly act as the National Node for the country's archaeological museums. Their role will be to support these institutions in designing initiatives and adopting practices that align with and promote the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through the tools provided by the programme and a series of events such as knowledge-sharing workshops, the Ministry's departments will work closely with the National Library of Greece and ICCROM to enhance the impact of cultural collections in building a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable future.
The official international launch of the ICCROM programme took place online on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, during which participating countries in the pilot phase – Greece, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Latvia, Portugal, and the Philippines – presented their National Action Plans for the upcoming three years. The official launch of the Greek part of the programme by the National Node institutions followed a few days later, on Monday, June 30, 2025. It was held in conjunction with the first knowledge-sharing workshop for museums and libraries, with the support of ICCROM and the participation of selected public institutions.
