World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 2025; May 21st.

FORUM:"Bridging the gap between cultures is urgent and necessary for peace, stability and development." World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 2025. Cultural diversity is a driving force of development, not only with respect to economic growth, but also as a means of leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual life. This is captured in the culture conventions, which provide a solid basis for the promotion of cultural diversity. Cultural diversity is thus an asset that is indispensable for poverty reduction and the achievement of sustainable development. At the same time, acceptance and recognition of cultural diversity – in particular through innovative use of media and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) – are conducive to dialogue among civilizations and cultures, respect and mutual understanding. The delegations from 150 States unanimously adopted the historic Declaration for Culture affirming culture as a “global public good” and calling for it to be integrated “as a specific goal in its own right” in the development agenda beyond 2030. The text defines a set of cultural rights that need to be taken into account in public policies. These range from the social and economic rights of artists to artistic freedom, the right of indigenous communities to safeguard their ancestral knowledge, and the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage. It also calls for substantial regulation of the digital sector, notably of the major platforms, for the benefit of online cultural diversity, artists’ intellectual property rights and fair access to content for all.

EVENTS: On May 21st, 2025, we will mark the 20th anniversary of the entry in force of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO HQ and its regional offices worldwide. The observance of day will provide an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the 4 goals of the UNESCO Convention adopted on 20 October 2005 which call to Support sustainable systems of governance for culture, to Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase mobility of artists and cultural professionals, to Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks, to Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.

From 29 September to 1 October 2025 at the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB), Spain, the MONDIACULT 2025 is UNESCO’s flagship World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, scheduled to take place. Hosted by the Government of Spain, the conference aims to shape the global cultural agenda and advocate for the recognition of culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 United Nations development framework.

The conference will focus on six key themes:

1. Cultural rights: Ensuring equitable access to culture and safeguarding the rights of all individuals to participate in cultural life.
2. Digital technologies in the culture sector: Exploring the impact of digital transformation on cultural expressions, heritage preservation, and the creative industries.
3. Culture and education: Integrating cultural education into curricula to foster creativity, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding.
4. Economy of culture: Recognizing culture’s contribution to economic development, job creation, and innovation.
5. Culture and climate action: Addressing the role of culture in promoting environmental sustainability and resilience to climate change.
6. Culture, heritage, and crisis: Understanding how cultural heritage can be protected and leveraged in times of crisis, including conflicts and natural disasters.

In addition to the main themes, MONDIACULT 2025 will emphasize two critical focus areas:

1. Culture for peace: Highlighting culture’s role in conflict prevention, reconciliation, and the promotion of peaceful societies.
2. Artificial intelligence and culture: Examining the ethical implications of AI on cultural creation, dissemination, and preservation.

The follow-up Conference, MONDIACULT 2025 (Barcelona, 29 September-1 October 2025), provides an opportunity to review achievements at the national, regional and international-level achievements following the adoption of the MONDIACULT Declaration, which established a set of cultural rights that must be guaranteed. There has been evident momentum, as culture has been included on the agendas of the G20, G7, G77+China and other regional and international forums. The conference aims to enhance global collaboration on cultural issues, assess the implementation of the MONDIACULT Declaration's priority areas, encourage inclusive dialogues on cultural policies involving diverse stakeholders, establish priorities for a dedicated cultural goal in the post-2030 development agenda, and assist UNESCO Member States in strengthening cultural information systems for better public policies.