Delivering A Culture Goal
for Global Agendas
Following up the inclusion of the need for a Culture Goal to be included in global agendas for sustainable development in UNESCO's Mondiacult 2022 Conference final Declaration, the #culture2030goal campaign has recently released a Statement asking for transformative action towards concrete implementation.
#culture2030goal #Mondiacult2022:
Proposing a Culture Goal
In the context of UNESCO's #Mondiacult2022 Conference on Cultural Rights, the #culture2030goal campaign organised various sessions and presented a proposal for a dedicated Goal on Culture in the post-2030 sustainable development frameworks.
#HLPF 2022 #culture2030goal
side event
In the context of the annual High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2022, the #culture2030goal campaign organised a side-event entitled "From Local Practice to Global Principles. Drawing from local integration of culture in SDG implementation to help build back better globally", which highlighted how cultural actors, institutions and considerations are being integrated into local development strategies, and the lessons this offers for efforts to deliver sustainable development by 2030 and beyond.
The session recording is available on Youtube in English and a detailed article is available here.
#ResiliArt x #Mondiacul2022
#culture2030goal event
The potential of culture to drive sustainable development is too often unrealised. In a world where resilience, creativity, cohesion and a right-based, people-centred approach are more essential than ever, we simply cannot afford to leave culture out in our efforts to respond to global challenges and build a better world.
How can we ensure a higher place for culture on the agenda, and so trigger the necessary shift of paradigm?
Entitled "Toward a Culture Goal in the Sustainable Development Agenda", the #culture2030goal campaign ResiliArt x Mondiacult event explored how to do this, and the potential explicit priorisation of culture to make a difference. In doing so, it also offered insights into how we can do better today. both in designing culture policies that support sustainable development, and in designing sustainable development policies that integrate culture fully.
The concept note of the event as well as the video recording of the session are available below:
Report on Culture in the VLRs
In 2021, the #Culture2030goal campaign elaborated a new report on 'Culture in the Localization of the SDGs: An Analysis of the Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs)'.
The main findings of the analysis show that there is great diversity of how local and regional governments (LRGs) address culture in their sustainable development policies and reporting. A good majority of VLRs have included the cultural dimension in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda, through substantive narratives. Cultural topics can be found at any level, as part of high-level policy frameworks and as practical examples of implementation, as separate sectoral headings, where LRGs have dedicated ‘cultural plans’, or supporting aspects of other policy headings, diffused throughout different Goals and Targets.
The report is available here in English.
A renewed vision
In April 2021 the campaign approved its strategic framework within the context of the UN Decade of Action. In this, we define:
- Our Vision: The recognition of culture as the fourth pillar of sustainable development;
- Our Mission: To mainstream culture across the global development agenda;
- Our Values/Beliefs: are rooted in the #culture2015goal Manifesto of 2014 and the #CultureCOVID19 Statement of 2020;
- Our Goals include:
- A stronger place for culture throughout the implementation of the current global development agenda (the UN 2030 Agenda),
- The adoption of culture as a distinct goal in the post-2030 development agenda,
- The adoption of a global agenda for culture.
Read the strategy of the #Culture2030goal campaign here.
#Culture2030goal Statement on
“Culture and the COVID-19 pandemic”
#CULTUREcovid19 #Culture2030goal
The UCLG Committee on culture and partners in the #Culture2030goal campaign have released, on 20 April 2020, a Statement on Culture and the COVID-19 pandemic. Signed by eight international cultural networks, the statement is framed in our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the need to guarantee culture is at the heart of the UN Decade of Action for the SDGs.
Entitled 'Esuring culture fulfills its potential in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic', the statement's preamble emphasizes:
"With the world faced with the COVID-19 pandemic today and the need to rebuild our societies tomorrow, culture should be at the heart of the response. Culture brings inspiration, comfort and hope into people’s lives. To harness this potential, the Culture 2030 Goal movement, in the context of its engagement in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, calls on UN agencies, governments and all other stakeholders to act."
The statement is endorsed by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency Mr Tijjani Muhammad-Bande. See the press release.
Official launch of the Statement
The official launch of the Statement took place on 21 May 2020, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The date illustrates the commitment of the campaign to the achievement of development goals, and in particular the 2030 Agenda. In this context, the organisations behind the Statement underline the need to ensure that culture is at the heart of the UN Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Check out the concept note of the launch.
Presentation at HLPF 2020
Also, a side-event entitled "Culture - An Accelerator Under-Used? Realising the Potential of Culture for Short-term and Long-term Sustainable Development" was organised by the coalition in the context of the United Nations High Level Political Forum 2020 (HLPF2020) on 13 July 2020.
Check out the final video, the press-release and see the flyer:
Report “Culture in the Implementation
of the 2030 Agenda”
The Cultural Dimension of Sustainable Development is essential for the achievement of 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals
Building on the commitments of #culture2015goal, the members of this campaign have taken the occasion of the UN SDGs Summit that takes place in New York on 24-25 September 2019, as a perfect opportunity to re-energise the campaign, now updated as #culture2030goal, with the publication of the report entitled: “Culture in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda” and send key messages on the role that culture is playing (and should play) in the implementation of the SDGs.
The report takes stock of the first four years of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, from the perspective of culture. It focuses on the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) submitted by State Parties to the UN for the HLPFs in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The report also explains the parallel developments of policy in the global conversation on culture in development, including the initiatives and actions undertaken by the networks of #culture2030goal themselves, UNESCO, the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, and other international organizations. The report also includes an analysis of the Voluntary Local Reports (VLRs, submitted by cities and local governments).
The report provides key recommendations for all parties involved in the Implementation Decade (2020-2030) of the SDGs: (a) culture to be from the outset in national development planning frameworks for implementing the SDGs, as well as in their reporting through the VNR process, (b) the need for wider consultation and participatory exercises in the elaboration of VNRs, (c) the need to develop a wider international community around culture and sustainable development, (d) the organisation of a High-Level Meeting devoted to Culture within the next HLPF cycle of reporting (2020-2023), (e) the design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative indicators reflecting the place of culture in sustainable development, (f) the importance of cultural contexts in the local implementation of the SDGs and the crucial role played by local cultural actors, institutions and organisations, (f) the need for cultural sectors to strengthen their own efforts towards the implementation of the SDGs, and (g) the commitment to developing partnerships at all levels to strengthen the integration of the cultural dimension in the SDGs.
