The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, celebrated every May 21st and organized by UNESCO, highlights the richness of the world’s cultures and underscores the importance of intercultural dialogue in achieving peace and sustainable development. In a world where 89% of conflicts occur in countries with limited intercultural dialogue, strengthening this dialogue is crucial for building effective cooperation and maintaining peace.
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL VALUE OF CULTURE
According to UNESCO, the cultural and creative sector is one of the most powerful drivers of global development. This sector contributes to economic growth, representing 31% of the world’s GDP and 62% of employment, but it also plays an essential role in social cohesion. With over 48 million jobs worldwide, nearly half held by women, the cultural and creative sector offers significant opportunities, especially for young people under 30.
Despite its importance, this sector still does not receive the recognition it deserves in public policies and international cooperation. This is why World Day for Cultural Diversity events are vital to highlight its impact and promote policies that support its development.
A HISTORIC DECLARATION FOR CULTURE
In 2022, MONDIACULT, the largest global conference on culture in the past 40 years, brought together 2,600 participants in Mexico City. During this event, a declaration was adopted in which states recognized culture as a “global public good.” This declaration, the result of ten months of multilateral negotiations led by UNESCO, establishes a set of cultural rights to be considered in public policies.
These rights include the social and economic rights of artists, artistic freedom, the right of indigenous communities to safeguard their ancestral knowledge, and the protection of cultural and natural heritage.
The declaration also advocates for substantial regulation of the digital sector, benefiting cultural diversity online and ensuring the intellectual property rights of artists.
CULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the fundamental role of culture as a driver of change and development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without leveraging the creative force emanating from cultural diversity and maintaining a constant dialogue to ensure that all members of society benefit from development.
SAFEGUARDING CULTURE IN TIMES OF CRISIS
As UNESCO explains on its website, culture, being at the forefront of conflicts, is too often a victim of hostilities. The destruction of heritage fuels violence, hatred, and revenge among people, weakening the very foundations of peace and making reconciliation difficult when wars end.
In armed conflicts or disaster situations, culture is particularly endangered due to its inherent vulnerability and enormous symbolic value. At the same time, culture is a factor that drives recovery, strengthening community resilience.
Through the implementation of its mutually reinforcing cultural conventions, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) works with the international community to protect culture and promote cultural pluralism in emergencies, conducting activities during civil wars and conflicts, as well as in post-disaster scenarios caused by natural or man-made hazards.
CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ARMED CONFLICTS
The protection of culture and the fight against crimes have been at the core of UNESCO’s mission since its foundation. With this spirit and the promise to preserve heritage for future generations, the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols (1954 and 1999) were adopted under UNESCO’s auspices.
Paving the way for the birth of numerous international instruments in the field of culture, the 1954 Hague Convention is a fundamental international instrument for conflict prevention, post-conflict recovery, and building the fortresses of peace.