The International Council of Museums (ICOM) held its 2025 Annual Conference from November 12 to 17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates. This year’s theme, “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,” brought together museum professionals from 139 countries and regions. For the first time, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP), along with representatives from the Preparatory Office of the National Indigenous Peoples Museum and the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center, joined the global gathering to showcase the rich diversity and vitality of Taiwan’s Indigenous cultures.

Speaking at the opening of the Taiwan Pavilion, CIP Deputy Minister Adralriw Abaliusu highlighted that Indigenous culture is a “living museum,” expressed through songs, craftsmanship, oral traditions, and the collective memory of each group. In recent years, the CIP has promoted policies rooted in Indigenous perspectives and cultural sustainability, demonstrating Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples’ creativity and vitality through cultural heritage diplomacy, youth involvement, and international collaborations in performances. Guided by the idea of the “mobile museum,” the Taiwan Pavilion in Dubai featured live music and dance, hands-on craft demonstrations, cultural micro-lectures, and interactive Q&A sessions—inviting global visitors to experience the artistic richness and spiritual values of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples. The pavilion attracted significant interest from international delegates throughout the event.

The CIP stressed that the Preparatory Office for the National Indigenous Peoples Museum was established in June 2025, with the museum scheduled to open officially in 2032. Built on the vision of “connection, sharing, and mutual flourishing,” the museum aims to link Austronesian cultural resources worldwide and serve as a key platform for cultural practice, research, and international dialogue. Participation in this year’s ICOM conference marks a major milestone in expanding Taiwan’s global cultural engagement and highlights the tangible achievements of Indigenous cultural diplomacy. The ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICME) is also planning to host its annual meeting in Taiwan for the first time in 2026. On November 12, the committee’s chair, vice-chair, and board members visited the Taiwan Pavilion to meet with the CIP delegation and discuss opportunities for collaboration in 2026. Through dialogue and exchange on the international stage, the CIP hopes to deepen global understanding and respect for Taiwan’s Indigenous cultures while strengthening partnerships with museums and cultural institutions worldwide. Together, Taiwan and its global partners aim to promote a future rooted in diversity, inclusion, and shared cultural prosperity.