The cornerstone of ICOM is its ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums. It sets minimum standards of professional practice and performance for museums and their staff. In joining the organisation, ICOM members undertake to abide by this Code.
ICFA is the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Fine Arts. It was founded in 1980 and it's membership is made up of around 500 professionals employed by museums and galleries that collect old master and nineteenth-century paintings, sculpture and artworks on paper.
Every year, the committee arranges a meeting so that members can discuss problems and exchange opinions. In the last few years meetings have been held in cities such as St Petersburg, New York and Dublin. Subjects considered recently have included museum design and architecture, historic environments, and the illicit traffic in artworks.