The committed Museum

Commitment is at the heart of our mission and activities: to archive nature's heritage; to know and understand what makes up the Earth on its temporal plane; to disseminate a rigorous scientific message; to provide expertise on complex issues by shedding light on possible futures. The current trajectory of our planet requires a strong mobilisation, in which we want to involve you.

Our Scientific and Cultural Project grounds, formalises, and continues the work we have carried out for years: awakening curiosity, fostering a culture of nature, taking part in the social debate, engaging citizens, informing policy-makers, and amplifying the Museum's voice as well as the lessons of Natural History that can help us to build a better world. It is the backbone supporting actions that foster the Museum's civic commitment, geared toward its audiences.

While the Covid-19 pandemic is disrupting our lifestyles, it is also leading us to question our social models and the collective principles that guide our actions. Our certainties are being called into question, knowledge is expanding, cultures are crossing paths and positions are sometimes taken outside scientific rationality, which is actually extremely important. At its own level, the Museum is helping to raise awareness of the interdependence of ecosystems by advocating the "One Health" concept. This puts the relationship between Homo sapiens and the rest of the living world at the centre. It reinforces the close links between the health of humans, animals and ecosystems. One cannot exist without the others. It is therefore a question of reaffirming the interconnection of living things and defending an ethic for the planet.

Through its unique position at the crossroads of research, culture and society, the Museum bears a responsibility. It engages in public debate by making a strong scientific voice heard throughout the world. This is demonstrated by our contribution to and participation in the negotiations of the commitments signed by France: the Paris Agreement of 2015 at the end of COP 21, and the COP 15 Biodiversity in China, in 2021. We are strengthening our presence around the world, with the opening of several permanent representations, guaranteeing a solid link within the area. Finally, the institution shines through its naturalist explorations, which enrich its collections and promote the development of knowledge. Not to mention the fact that our exhibitions travel all over the world.

The creation and transmission of reliable knowledge is one of the Museum's core activities. But everyone can contribute to the development of scientific knowledge. This is what participatory science, which is experiencing remarkable growth and in which the Museum has been a pioneer in France for over twenty years, is all about. Be they novice or experienced naturalists, all citizens with a passion for nature are invited to participate in the collection of data that researchers could not obtain alone. This information is crucial in assessing the impact of environmental changes. In this respect, participatory science is a wonderful opportunity to renew the dialogue between science and society, which is essential to the health of our democracies.

The Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle is committed to Open Science, from data production to scientific publications. The aim at both the national and international level, as defined by UNESCO, is to ‘make multilingual scientific knowledge openly available, accessible and reusable for everyone, to increase scientific collaborations and sharing of information for the benefits of science and society’.

The Muséum's Ethics Advisory Committee (EAC) is an independent body. It issues recommendations on matters of relevance to the Muséum, which are either referred to it or which it considers on its own initiative. It is made up of no less than eleven members, half of whom are external to the Muséum. The ethics delegate and the scientific integrity liaison are ex officio members. The EAC has no operational role and does not deal with specific or personal cases.

Liaisons and delegates in the field of ethics (deontology, secularism, equality, scientific integrity, sexist and sexual violence, animal welfare, etc.) may be consulted for personal or specific issues.

The aim is to restore confidence in scientific messages, to contribute to raising awareness and to encourage everyone's commitment. To achieve this, the Museum has a powerful tool, namely the transmission of knowledge through in its galleries, museums, botanical gardens and zoological parks, and also, equally, via digital technology and provision of access to science for all. From now on, the voice of the Institution will be the “Manifestes du Muséum” (Museum Manifestos), multidisciplinary texts providing the scientific perspective of natural history on current issues, and the “Tribunes”, dynamic meetings inviting dialogue between science and society. And don't miss the podcast series "Pour que nature vive", which helps the understanding of nature and its complexity in order to better preserve it.