Towards the Inclusion of Culture in “A Pact for the Future”: UNESCO Presents Report on Culture and Sustainable Development at the General Assembly

At the 78^th session of the Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) of the General Assembly, Member States and UN system representatives deliberated on strategies towards advancing sustainable development, encompassing various economic growth and development topics, including on climate change, education, information and communication technologies, and culture for development.

Addressing the Committee, Mr. Eliot Minchenberg, Director of Office and UNESCO Representative to the United Nations in New York, introduced the Report on Culture and Sustainable development, which offers a comprehensive review of the implementation of the General Assembly Resolution on Culture and Sustainable Development. He began the presentation by noting the growing global recognition of the indispensable role of culture in sustainable development, highlighting that, for the first time, culture is explicitly integrated as a dedicated commitment within the Political Declaration of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, a milestone achievement that underscored culture's profound impact on sustainable development. He also recalled another pivotal moment, UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies – MONDIACULT 2022, where 150 countries endorsed a ministerial declaration outlining the roadmap for policy engagement to leverage culture for sustainable development.

Mr. Minchenberg then delved into the substantial progress made across various key areas, where culture’s prominence has grown significantly since 2021. He noted that the report features the renewed commitment by Member States towards safeguarding cultural rights and the strengthened support for the cultural and creative sector. Increased integration of culture and arts in education, and efforts in adapting the cultural sector to the digital transformation, such as the 2017 operational guidelines on the implementation of the Convention in the digital environment and the 2020 Open Roadmap for the Implementation of the Convention in the Digital Environment in the framework of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, are also spotlighted in the report. Furthermore, the report gives prominence to policy engagement in harnessing the role of culture for peacebuilding, climate action, and urban sustainability. Progress in measuring culture's impact on sustainable development, reflected in initiatives like the UNESCO Culture Indicators 2030, was also underscored. 

Mr. Minchenberg concluded by noting the report’s call for positioning culture as a global public good and as a development goal in its own right within the post 2030 agenda. He also highlighted the call for strengthened advocacy for the inclusion of culture in the Summit of the Future, and renewed engagement towards sustainable financing of culture.

Discussing advancements towards sustainable development, Member States spotlighted the pivotal role of culture in achieving the SDGs, underscoring the need to harness the transformative impact of culture across the policy spectrum. Member States also highlighted the culture’s contribution to quality education, empowerment of women and girls, and peacebuilding, echoing the call to integrate culture as a global public good in the post 2030 agenda.

The Group of 77 and China will introduce an updated General Assembly resolution on culture and sustainable development to be negotiated and adopted later this year. This forthcoming resolution reflects priority areas concerning culture and arts education, as well as the interlinkage between culture and climate change.