Integrating Culture in the UN’s Pact for the Future
Since 2021, and particularly in recent months, the United Nations, in collaboration with its Member States and key stakeholders, has been working on the development of the Pact for the Future. This strategic document aims to outline solutions for addressing both current and future global challenges. The Pact is set to be negotiated and ratified by countries leading up to and during the UN Summit in September 2024.
The initial ‘zero draft’ of the Pact had only a fleeting mention of culture. However, due to the efforts of the Culture2030Goal campaign, with Culture Action Europe as an active partner, notable progress has been achieved: culture now enjoys a dedicated section in the revised draft, where it is acknowledged as ‘an integral component of sustainable development.’ CAE’s Secretary-General, Lars Ebert, presented the campaign’s core arguments at the 16th International Forum of NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO on ‘Sustainable Cultures’ in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on 15 and 16 April 2024, hosted by the MASA Festival (Marché des Arts du Spectacle d’Abidjan).
Organised by the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee in cooperation with UNESCO’s Secretariat in accordance with the Directives concerning UNESCO’s partnership with non-governmental organisations, the Forum brought together a multitude of different stakeholders to share, learn, and explore the role of culture in sustainable development. It also supported the achievement of a stand-alone goal on culture in the post-2030 agenda. The Forum significantly contributed to redefining the central role of culture in achieving overall sustainable goals.
In this context, the revised draft of the Pact for the Future proposes to ‘integrate culture into economic, social, and environmental development policies and strategies, as a standalone goal, and as a central consideration to enhance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.’ The text calls for adequate investment in the protection and promotion of culture, as well as for negotiations on the return or restitution of cultural property to its countries of origin.
The Pact for the Future will undergo negotiations and will be endorsed in the run-up to and during the UN Summit on 23-24 September 2024. For now, this draft serves as a foundational step in positioning culture prominently on the international agenda and recognising it as a standalone Sustainable Development Goal, marking a significant achievement for the Culture2030Goal campaign.