MONDIACULT 2022: States adopt historic Declaration for Culture

• One hundred-fifty States unanimously adopted an ambitious Declaration for Culture on Friday at the end of a three-day conference convened by UNESCO. The text affirms Culture as a “global public good.” It reflects countries’ agreement on a joint roadmap to strengthen public policies in this field.

MONDIACULT

Mexico, September 30, 2022 — MONDIACULT 2022, the most significant world conference devoted to Culture in the last 40 years, brought together nearly 2,600 participants over three days in Mexico City. At UNESCO’s and Mexico’s invitations, 150 States sent delegations to the conference, and 135 of them were represented at the highest level by ministers of Culture.

“Culture has a fundamental role in our societies. People can discover their common humanity through Culture and become free and enlightened citizens. Yet, despite progress, it still does not have the place it deserves in public policies and international cooperation. MONDIACULT 2022 is a powerful signal to change this. The Declaration adopted today is a commitment to action,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said.

In the Declaration, the fruit of ten months of multilateral negotiations led by UNESCO, States affirm for the first time that Culture is a “global public good.” Consequently, States call for Culture to be included “as a specific objective in its own right” among the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The text defines a set of cultural rights that need to be considered in public policies, ranging from artists’ social and economic rights to artistic freedom. Also included is the right of indigenous communities to safeguard and transmit their ancestral knowledge and protect and promote cultural and natural heritage.

It also calls for substantial regulation of the digital sector, notably of the major platforms, to benefit online cultural diversity, artists’ intellectual property rights, and fair access to content for all.

Stepping up the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property: In the Declaration, governments also commit to intensify the fight against illegal trafficking in cultural goods with increased international cooperation. They call on art market operators not to offer for sale objects whose provenance is not proven.

The emphasis on “unprovenanced” objects calls for protecting vulnerable archaeological sites. The Declaration mandates UNESCO to propose standard-setting instruments to meet these challenges.

On the same subject, Ms. Azoulay announced the creation by UNESCO and INTERPOL of a virtual museum of stolen cultural property. It will serve as an educational and pedagogical tool so that citizens can learn about the history of these works and help people research the provenance of pieces about which they are unsure. The virtual museum will be up and running by 2025.

A delegation headed by the Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal, represented India at UNESCO-MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference.

Source: UNESCO

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:41 AM | Link to this Post

October 2, 2022

MONDIACULT 2022: States adopt historic Declaration for Culture