Culture in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda: A Report by the Culture 2030 Goal Campaign
1.2.2_ Culture at Intergovernmental Level: UN and UNESCO Policies Some of the most important policy documents of the United Nations in recent years have underscored the importance of culture. The analysis could begin in the outcome document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, “The Future We Want” (Rio de Janeiro, 2012), which highlighted the importance of cultural diversity and the need for a more holistic and integrated approach to sustainable development1, and the UN General Assembly Resolution N. 65/1 (“Keeping the Promise: United to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”, 2010). The Resolution states: • “We acknowledge the diversity of the world and recognize that all cultures and civilizations contribute to the enrichment of humankind. We emphasize the importance of culture for development and its contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals” (para 16); • “States should (…) take concerted, positive steps to ensure respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, on the basis of equality and non-discrimination and recognizing the value and diversity of their distinctive identities, cultures and social organization” (para 55); • “the cultural dimension is important for development. We encourage international cooperation in the cultural field, aimed at achieving development objectives” (para 66); and • “prevention programmes should take into account local circumstances, ethics and cultural values, including information, education and communication in languages most understood by local communities and should be respectful of cultures” (MDG6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases). The UN General Assembly has also issued specific resolutions on “Culture and Development” (N. 65/166, 2010 and N. 66/208, 2011) or “Culture and sustainable development” (N. 68/223, 2013, N. 69/230, 2014, N. 70/214, 2015 and N. 72/229, 2017), as well as those focusing on various aspect of cultural issues such as: • “A Culture of Peace” and “interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance, understanding and cooperation for peace” (N. 65/11, 2010, N. 65/138, 2010, N. 66/116, 2011, N. 66/226, 2011, N. 67/104, 2012, N. 67/106, 2012, N. 68/125, 2013, N. 68/126, 2013, N. 69/139, 2014, N. 69/140, 2014, N. 70/19, 2015, N. 70/20, 2015, 71/249, 2015, N. 71/252, 2016 and N. 73/126, 2018, N. 73/129, 2018 and N. 73/328, 2018) • “Human rights and cultural diversity” (N. 66/154, 2011, N. 68/159, 2013, N. 70/156, 2015 and N. 72/170, 2017) • “Illicit trafficking and restitution of cultural property” (N. 67/80, 2012, N. 68/186, 2013, N. 69/196, 2014, N. 70/76, 2015 and N. 73/130, 2018) • “Terrorist acts against cultural heritage”, including “the cultural heritage of Iraq” (N. 69/281, 2014 and N. 72/17, 2017) A particularly important milestone in UN policy regarding cultural heritage was the March 2017 UN Security Council resolution, S/RES/2347, which “condemns the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, including the destruction of religious sites and artefacts, and the looting and smuggling of cultural property from archaeological sites, museums, libraries, archives, and other sites, notably by terrorist groups”. The Resolution features a decisive statement, in affirming “that directing unlawful attacks against sites and buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, or historic monuments may constitute, under certain circumstances and pursuant to international law a war crime and that perpetrators of such attacks must be brought to justice”.
1. The Hangzhou Declaration on Placing Culture at the Heart of Sustainable Development Policies Adopted in Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, on 17 May 2013.
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