The Indonesian Government holds the World Culture Forum under the patronage of UNESCO, Bali, 23-27 November, 2013

The Indonesian Government has successfully held the World Culture Forum (WCF) under the patronage of UNESCO in Bali Indonesia from 23-27 November, 2013. The WCF brought together delegates from 45 countries and included over 1000 participants. The overall aim of the WCF was to explore the role of culture as a means to achieve sustainable development. The key results of the WCF have been defined in the “Bali Promise” which seeks to position emphasise the importance of culture for development particularly in the formation of the post-2015 development agenda.

The WCF was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Indonesia H.E Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. During his opening remarks H.E Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stated “we already have a World Economic Forum and the World Social Forum for critical discussions on globalization and all its aspects. However, we are yet to have a global forum for meaningful dialogues on the importance of culture”. He further added “this forum will discuss in depth how culture can contribute to achieving sustainable development.” and that the “WCF is designed to complement and strengthen existing initiatives, including those under the framework of UNESCO”.

The Director General (DG) of UNESCO Ms. Irina Bokova also delivered a message by video during the Forum in which she congratulated the leadership of the Republic of Indonesia in hosting te significant event. In her remarks the DG outlined the extensive work UNESCO is doing in the field of culture for development while emphasizing that “culture is who we are. It shapes what we do and how we see the world. It is also a force for dialogue, for building bridges of respect and mutual understanding between people and communities, “and that “there can be no full ownership, no full participation of development strategies without the full integration of culture.

A key element of the Forum’s programme was six themed symposia that brought together experts to discuss and debate issues around culture for sustainable development. The themes of the symposium included ‘Holistic Approaches to Culture in Development’, ‘Civil Society and Cultural Democracy’, ‘Creativity and Cultural Economics’, Culture in Environmental Sustainability’, Sustainable Urban Development ‘ and ‘Inter-Faith Dialogue and Community Building’.

UNESCO participated in the symposiums with Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director-General for Culture, and Hans d’Orville, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning, both moderating symposiums. Hubert Gijzen, The Director and Representative of the UNESCO Jakarta Office, delivered a presentation on creative economy with particular reference to the recent release of the UNESCO Creative Economy Report and UNESCO’s sustainable development work at Borobudur in the area of creative industries. Lynne Patchett, The Chief of the Executive Office for Culture, also delivered a presentation on UNESCO actions in the field of culture for development.

Download the World Culture Forum - Bali Promise here

• 29-11-2013