Over the course of three days, Barcelona will host the 194 UNESCO Member States to establish a global agenda for culture and to follow up on the objectives set at the previous edition, held in Mexico in 2022 and signed by 150 countries.
What is Mondiacult 2025?
The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – Mondiacult is a ministerial forum during which 194 Member States of UNESCO work together to set and commit to the global agenda for culture. Spain was the country selected to organise the event that will take place in the second half of this year.
The Mondiacult 2025 Conference is an opportunity to take stock of the national, regional, and international-level achievements following the adoption of the historic Mondiacult Declaration, which defined a set of cultural rights that must be guaranteed. The momentum has been evident, with the inclusion of culture on the agendas of G20, G7, G77+China, and other regional and international fora.
It also follows the Declaration's call to establish culture "as a specific objective in its own right" in the post-2030 development agenda. Mondiacult 2025 is a decisive and strategic moment to launch a global call for a stand-alone goal for culture, in the presence of thousands of decision-makers and cultural influencers.
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General view during the inauguration of Mondiacult 2022 in Mexico City (Mexico). EFE/José Méndez
What are the objectives of Mondiacult?
The objectives of the conference are as follows:
- Strengthen multilateral action, collaboration, and solidarity among countries to shape the global cultural agenda.
- Report on the progress, opportunities, and challenges in implementing the six priority areas of the Mondiacult Declaration, as well as two focus areas.
- Foster inclusive and participatory dialogues on cultural policies with a broad range of stakeholders, including young people.
- Identify the priorities to be considered in the drafting of a stand-alone goal for culture in the post-2030 development agenda.
- Support UNESCO Member States in strengthening cultural information systems to improve public policies.
Themes of Mondiacult 2025
In Barcelona, Mondiacult 2025 will present the first global report on the state of culture, the result of three years of work, and will update the progress on the objectives from the previous edition held in Mexico in 2022.
The 2025 edition brings together thousands of participants to set the global cultural agenda for the coming years. Our inclusive discussions will revolve around 6 themes and 2 focus areas, which represent key challenges and opportunities for the future of culture.
The six thematic priorities are:
- Cultural rights.
- Culture in the digital era.
- Integrating culture in education.
- Culture economics.
- The cultural dimensions of climate change.
- Heritage in crisis: illicit trafficking and destruction of cultural property.
And the two focus areas:
- Culture and artificial intelligence.
- Culture of peace.
In the year leading up to this meeting in Spain, a series of formal and informal actions and consultations have been planned to prepare these themes.
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Representatives of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development wave bouquets to celebrate the closing of the event in Mexico City (Mexico). EFE/José Méndez
Regional consultations
UNESCO's regional consultations for culture are essential to enrich the content of the Mondiacult 2025 sessions. A total of five have been scheduled, in different parts of the world. Their outcomes will be used to produce the First Global Report on the State of Culture, a snapshot that will provide an update on the state of cultural policies worldwide every four years.
Group 1 regional consultation: Western Europe and North America
The first of these consultations was organised by Spain, brought together the countries from Group 1, Western Europe and North America, and was held in a hybrid format, with the main hub in Madrid, on 21 and 22 November 2024. Member countries have agreed that Mondiacult 2025 will review the topics discussed at the previous edition in Mexico and will also address two new themes: artificial intelligence (AI) and the culture of peace. It has also been endorsed that culture be incorporated as a specific objective in the post-2030 development agenda, a concept championed by the Mondiacult 2022 Declaration.
- Participants have reiterated their commitment to the protection of cultural rights, both individual and collective, emphasizing the importance of policies that highlight local and diversified content. Several Member States have outlined their lines of action for the effective implementation of the 2024 UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education. The role of culture in inclusive economic growth and the relationship between heritage and democracy have also been addressed.
- On the other hand, the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the cultural sector as a whole has been evident in numerous interventions. The States have reported on the progress made since the adoption of the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, and a large number of participants have called for the establishment of international and regional frameworks for the responsible use of AI.
- Finally, it has been emphasised that, now more than ever, culture is indispensable as a tool for peace, to promote peaceful coexistence, prevent conflicts, and foster post-conflict reconciliation.
Group 2 regional consultation: Eastern Europe
The second regional consultation, corresponding to Group 2, Eastern Europe, and chaired by Latvia, took place on 12 December 2024. It focused on creating a map of national and regional trends in cultural policies, as well as identifying gaps, challenges, and priorities across the entire Eastern European region.
- Member States have reaffirmed their commitment to defending cultural rights and their role in achieving the SDGs. In addition, they have recognised linguistic diversity as an essential pillar of human dignity and a catalyst for inclusion, participation, and social transformation. Participants have also emphasised the need for indicators to assess the contribution of culture to economic growth. Furthermore, the growing impact of conflicts and crises on the protection of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage has been addressed.
- Regarding artificial intelligence, which has been widely discussed, Member States have recognised the UNESCO regulatory framework as an effective means to protect the rights of creators. Finally, participants have expressed their support for culture as a stand-alone objective in the post-2030 agenda.
Group 3 regional consultation: Latin America and the Caribbean
The regional consultation of Group 3, Latin America and the Caribbean, held on 9 and 10 December 2024, was chaired by Chile. Participants have analysed the protection of intellectual property rights in the digital environment, the resilience of culture in the face of climate change, and heritage preservation. They have also stressed the need for deeper regional integration and enhanced cooperation to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
- Participants have examined the protection and promotion of cultural diversity from a decentralised and inclusive perspective, highlighting the importance of having accurate data on the contribution of culture to sustainable development. In addition, they have advocated for greater international cultural cooperation and better protection of the rights of workers in the cultural sector.
- Regarding artificial intelligence, its development must be inclusive and transparent, in line with the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the relevant G20 declarations, and the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence adopted in 2021. Group 3 has also endorsed culture as a specific objective in the post-2030 agenda, believing this will enhance its positive impact on public policies.
Group 4 regional consultation: Asia and the Pacific
The regional consultation of Group 4, Asia and the Pacific, was chaired by India and took place on 4 and 6 February 2025. Member States have emphasised the importance of recognising and promoting cultural rights as an essential element of cultural policies; examining the role of digital technologies in the transformation of the cultural sector; and addressing the significance of culture in education, with special reference to the 2024 UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education. The contribution of culture to sustainable economic growth and the need to protect cultural heritage from the impact of climate change, natural disasters, and armed conflicts have also been highlighted.
After thoroughly discussing the themes of artificial intelligence and culture of peace, participants addressed the issue of culture as a specific objective in the post-2030 agenda, aiming to contribute to the design of a strategic vision by identifying the key elements that should be included in this new objective dedicated to culture.
Group 5.a regional consultation: Arab States
The regional consultation of Group 5.a, Arab States, organised by Morocco, took place on 13, 15, and 20 January 2025. After examining the progress in implementing the Mondiacult 2022 Declaration, Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the protection of cultural rights, emphasising the importance of cultural diversity and public policies for sustainable development based on rights. The integration of cultural heritage into educational systems has also been advocated, along with the development of regional cultural education programmes, following the guidelines of the 2024 UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education.
- One of the main issues of this consultation has been the relationship between culture and new technologies: to address the digital divide, it is necessary to ensure equitable access to digital tools and information. In addition, artificial intelligence requires ethical legislative frameworks and AI literacy programmes.
- After highlighting the role of culture in building peace (as a driver of tolerance, mutual respect, and conflict resolution), participants have advocated for protecting cultural heritage in crisis contexts. They have also advocated for the need for culture to be a specific objective in the post-2030 agenda, as this would enhance the recognition of the power of culture and its transformative potential to promote sustainable development.
Group 5.b regional consultation: African States
The regional consultation of Group 5.b, African States, was chaired by Kenya on 22 and 23 January 2025. Member States have examined the scope of cultural rights as an essential element to protect cultural and linguistic diversity, strengthen the resilience of societies, and preserve historical memory. In this regard, two priorities have been highlighted: the restitution of cultural property and the integration of cultural rights into national policies. Alongside this, participants have highlighted the transformative role of digital technologies for the cultural sector. On the other hand, during the consultation, the role of education in transmitting cultural heritage and promoting cultural diversity has been examined. The role of cultural industries as drivers of economic growth has also been emphasised.
- Regarding the impact of crises (particularly climate change and conflicts) on culture and heritage, it was noted that only 20% of World Heritage sites in Africa have a risk management plan, and a call was made to integrate culture into disaster management policies and mechanisms. In this context, the participation of local communities is also crucial.
- On the issue of the digital divide, participants have called for the development of endogenous, ethical, transparent, and human-centred artificial intelligence, in line with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. While not overlooking the challenges posed by AI, the numerous opportunities it offers have been highlighted (such as the preservation of local languages, early warning systems to protect heritage, among others).
- During this consultation, the role of culture for peace was discussed, particularly in areas affected by conflict and forced displacement, to promote intercultural dialogue. Cultural diplomacy and cultural traditions of conflict management have also been highlighted as tools for peace-building.
- Finally, participants have called for the inclusion of culture as a specific objective in the post-2030 agenda, recognising it as indispensable for an equitable development that is rights-based and respects diversity. A Culture SDG would enhance global cultural governance with the backing of UNESCO, reaffirming the commitment to culture as a public asset.
For more information:
Mondiacult 2025
Unesco Mondiacult (en inglés y francés)
Albares signs agreement at UNESCO for Barcelona to host MONDIACULT 2025