Culture for Sustainable Development
At a time when the international community is discussing future development goals beyond 2015, all efforts are focused on putting culture at the heart of the global development agenda.
Culture, in its manifold expressions ranging from cultural heritage to cultural and creative industries and cultural tourism, is both an enabler and a driver of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
Key areas where culture can play a decisive role in the forthcoming international development agenda have been identified: poverty eradication, quality education, sustainable environmental management, sustainable cities and social cohesion and inclusion.
In recent years, many recommendations have been made for culture to be integrated in the Post-2015 Development Agenda:
December 2015 : The International Conference on "Culture for Sustainable Cities" in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
2014: The Post-2015 Dialogues on Culture and Development co-led by UNESCO, UNDP and UNFPA
December 2014: The 4th UN Resolution on Culture and Sustainable Development adopted by the UN General Assembly – A/RES/69/230
October 2014: The UN Secretary-General’s report on culture and sustainable development submitted to the UN General Assembly, in implementation of Resolution A/RES/68/223
October 2014: The “Florence Declaration” adopted at the UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries held in Florence, Italy
May 2014: The civil society campaign driven by a coalition of over 600 NGOs that has gathered some 2,000 signatures from 120 countries as of September 2014
May 2014: Thematic Debate of the UN General Assembly on culture and development convened in New York
December 2013: The 3rd UN Resolution on Culture and Sustainable Development adopted by the UN General Assembly - A/RES/68/223
November 2013: The 2013 Special Edition of the Creative Economy Report
November 2013: The “Bali Promise” adopted at the World Culture Forum held in Bali, Indonesia
November 2013: The UNESCO Resolution adopted by the General Conference on the need to pursue the advocacy to integrate culture in the Post-2015 Development Agenda
July 2013: Round Table on Culture and Sustainable Development in SIDS and the Post-2015 Agenda
July 2013: The Ministerial Declaration of the ECOSOC
June 2013: Thematic Debate of the UN General Assembly on culture and development convened in New York
May 2013: The “Hangzhou Declaration” adopted at the Hangzhou International Congress on “Culture: Key to Sustainable Development” held in Hangzhou, China
