“It is pivotal to recognize it, so that we can share values,” Alonso said at the event’s Ministerial Dialogue, convened by UNESCO, stressing the importance of culture, GlobeNewswire reported.
“How can we create better spaces for intercultural dialogue? Without culture we lose our future,” Alonso warned at the encounter, which runs until Tuesday, and it is arranged by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.
The panel focused on the concept of “culture as a global public good,” which was highlighted in the Declaration for Culture, unanimously adopted at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT), held in Mexico in September 2022.
MONDIACULT was considered a turning point for international cooperation in cultural policy, so stakeholders leveraged the Abu Dhabi meeting to review the tasks proposed in Mexico previous the next forum of culture ministers, to be held in the Spanish city of Barcelona in 2025.
“Culture will be a major driving force for international cooperation in the coming years,” Spanish Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun underscored on the exchange.
“In a fragmented world, we need culture more than ever. We call on everyone involved in the cultural sectors to work with us to make it a successful exercise,” Urtasun said.
Although global creative economies are valued at USD$2 trillion and account for 50 million jobs worldwide, they remain largely untapped.
Ministers attached importance to culture occupying a more relevant place in tackling challenges impacting countries around the world today; consequently, in the Sustainable Development Goals as well.
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