The 10th World Archaeological Congress was held from 22-28 June 2025 in Darwin, Australia. It was hosted by Flinders University in partnership with the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University.
WEB DESK
— The World Archaeological Congress (WAC) debarred scholars affiliated with Israel’s Ariel University from participating in its WAC-10 conference which concluded on June 28, citing international legal and ethical concerns.
The decision, taken on June 21 by the WAC Council, stems from Ariel University’s location within an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, deemed illegal under international law. The Council noted that allowing participation from such institutions would violate WAC’s core principles and the global legal framework regarding occupation and cultural heritage.
WAC cited Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the 2004 International Court of Justice advisory opinion, and UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016), all of which recognize Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories as unlawful.
Koji Mizoguchi, WAC President, stated that inclusion of Ariel University would contradict the organization’s commitment to ethical and inclusive archaeology. He reaffirmed WAC’s solidarity with communities affected by conflict and occupation.
With members across 90 countries, WAC promotes ethical archaeology, public education, and empowerment of Indigenous and marginalized groups, while advocating for heritage protection amid global crises.
The World Archaeological Congress is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization and is the only archaeological organisation with elected global representation. Membership is open to archaeologists, heritage managers, students and members of the public.