MA board formed a subcommittee early in 2024 to discuss a new Code of Ethics (CoE) for our sector. It is their plan to bring a new code and structure to MA’s members for voting at the 2025 AGM.

The Committee recognises that MA’s CoE sits alongside the ICOM CoE. There are significant duplications between the two documents, which the Committee wants to avoid going forward.

It is also recognised that New Zealand has unique circumstances and that museums and galleries need to act ethically as good Treaty partners. A New Zealand CoE needs to reflect best practice and guide institutions through matters including establishing meaningful governance relationships with iwi Māori, repatriation, WAI262 and approaches to decolonisation.

Recognising the environment museums and galleries operate in is changing, the Committee also wants to design a system that enables ongoing discussion of ethical issues and make decisions others can use as guidance – much like developing case law.

The Committee wishes to develop a framework rather than a set of rules. This framework is currently being drafted and will be published for consultation with members in the New Year. The Committee welcomes topics of discussion from the membership to start building the case studies members can use to guide their own decision making.

The Ethics Committee consists of Board members Carolyn Roberts-Thompson, Janeen Love, David Reeves, Susanna Shadbolt and Lucinda Jimson (Chair), together with Liz Cotton (Waikato Museum Director), Rowan Carroll (Director New Zealand Police Museum) and Victoria Esson (National Services Te Paerangi).

Please contact one of the committee members or the MA team if you’d like to contribute to the conversation.