“It is pivotal to recognize it, so that we can share values,” Alonso said at the event’s Ministerial Dialogue, called by UNESCO, stressing the significance of culture, GlobeNewswire reported.

“How can we create better spaces for intercultural talks? Without culture we lose our future,” Alonso warned at the meeting which runs through Tuesday.

The panel focused on the concept of “culture as a global public good,” which was praised 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.

“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.

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