Preamble
We, the Ministers of Culture and Heads of Delegations of the Member States of the G-77 and China, gathered in Havana, Cuba on May 4, 2023, with the purpose of reflecting on the contemporary challenges of the cultural sector aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic in our nations, while promoting initiatives aimed at taking action on the social and economic dimensions of culture for sustainable development, social transformation and inclusion and fostering cooperation mechanisms and alternatives that strengthen culture as a global public good and encourage the exchange of best practices and capacity building in developing countries.
Highlight the relevance of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, MONDIACULT 2022 (Mexico City, September 2022), which affirmed that culture is a global public good and a fundamental factor in achieving sustainable development, peace and stability.
Emphasize the transcendental value of culture as an essential component of human development, social inclusion and efforts to eradicate poverty and reduce social inequalities.
Stress the capacity of culture to foster multilingualism, as a driver of resilience and social cohesion, as well as its contribution to environmental protection and sustainable and inclusive growth in harmony and balance with nature.
Recognize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cultural sector, on the creative industries and, in particular, on the creation, production, and distribution of and access to cultural goods and services, the loss of income from cultural tourism and the creative economies.
Highlight the efforts and commitment of the governments and cultural actors of the countries of the South to foster national and regional collaboration actions and assistance that help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; protect cultural diversity, safeguard cultural heritage and ensure access to and enjoyment of cultural life as a fundamental human right by their citizens.
Underscore the importance of promoting joint initiatives within the framework of South-South cooperation, aimed at promoting a sustainable development approach based on culture and environmental sustainability with innovative solutions, through cultural heritage, creative industries, the potential of local communities, innovation and creativity.
Reaffirm our firm rejection of the imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all other forms of coercive economic measures, including unilateral sanctions against developing countries and reiterate the urgent need to eliminate them immediately.
Underscore the importance of respecting cultural diversity throughout the world and fostering intercultural dialogue and mutual learning, building on international friendship, respect, solidarity and cooperation.
Stress the importance of engaging youth and taking full advantage of their potential and creative capacities, taking into account their views, insights and ideas towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the achievement of a more just, equitable and peaceful future for all.
We support:
- Enhancing, through public policies, the transformative role of culture and its contribution to sustainable and inclusive economic growth to address contemporary challenges and inequalities as a key priority.
- Fostering a better understanding of the economic, social and environmental importance and scope of culture and its direct and indirect contribution to sustainable development at the local, national, sub-regional and regional levels.
- Strengthening the promotion of cultural diversity, cultural heritage, cultural and creative industries and cultural tourism, in order to consolidate them as fundamental pillars of local, national, sub-regional and regional development plans and programs, and ensuring the necessary funding and investment for their development.
- Fostering international unity, solidarity and cooperation to move towards the recovery of the cultural sector in the countries of the South and bridge the gaps exacerbated by the multidimensional crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Preserving the cultural diversity of the countries of the South, protect their cultural heritage and promote access to cultural life as a fundamental human right of peoples.
- Promoting cultural exchange among the countries of the South, respect for the diversity of cultural expressions, intercultural dialogue, the mobility of artists and creators, and the promotion of artistic education as means to consolidate unity, the culture of peace, and solidarity among the nations of the South.
- Enhancing the synergies between culture and education, including the integration of culture in the curricula with the aim of expanding and improving the quality of comprehensive education of our young generations.
- Strengthening South-South and triangular cooperation mechanisms with the participation of UN agencies and organizations with competence in the field of culture, notably UNESCO, to mobilize resources for promoting projects, facilitating the exchange of best practices and knowledge and fostering strategic alliances to face present and future challenges, which are increasingly complex.
- Sharing experiences and good practices drawn from models of cultural and creative industries and local development projects in countries of the South, and with the participation of communities to achieve sustainable development with a focus on culture.
- Strengthening joint cooperation on monitoring, collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in the field of culture in developing countries, supporting UNESCO's efforts to produce a World Report on Cultural Policies based on the periodic reports of its Member States and on the framework of thematic indicators of UNESCO Culture|2030, in order to make visible the impact of culture on sustainable development in our countries.
- Promoting public policies to minimize the risks and optimize the opportunities of digital transformation in the field of culture, using technology, creativity and innovation as fundamental tools for the post COVID-19 recovery of the cultural and creative sector.
- Providing tools for the cultural and creative sector to address hate speeches, violence, and discrimination, and ensure access to culture and accurate and reliable information, as fundamental human rights, in the fields of culture, education, information and communication.
- Strengthening cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property through the exchange of best practices and capacity building for safeguarding, registration and control of heritage.
- Promoting, within the framework of the SDG Summit and other relevant negotiation processes, the inclusion of a structured and specific sustainable development goal related to culture in the new Development Agenda beyond 2030.
We, express our commitment to strengthen cooperation in the field of culture, promoting its scope as a crosscutting axis for the different dimensions of sustainable development and recognizing its importance for people and societies, as a public good and a way to build peace, equality and prosperity.
We thank the Government of the Republic of Cuba in its capacity as Chairman of the Group of 77 and China and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cuba for the hosting, organization and results of this sectoral meeting.
(Source: Cubaminrex)