Culture and sustainable development in general

Culture bears an artistic and social value (identity, development, dialogue, connection, history), but also an economic value (creative industry, innovation, planning). The Sustainable Development Goals support the importance of culture as driver of sustainable development, for example the importance of non-violence and cultural diversity (SDG 4.7), safeguarding of natural and cultural heritage (SDG 11.4) and creative industry (SDG 8.3).

As shown before, the Netherlands have legislation on these subjects, and has drafted national and international cultural policies, specifically targeting the diversity of cultural expressions and the safeguarding, management and accessibility of cultural heritage. The Unesco conventions of 1954, 1970, 1972, 2003 and 2005 are ratified and implemented. The ratification of the 2001 convention on the protection of underwater cultural heritage is in preparation.

Regarding the management of monuments, policies have been developed to support the transition towards sustainable use of natural resources.

The Dutch Heritage Act (Erfgoedwet)[1], which came into force in 2016, stipulates how our heritage is managed, designates the responsible parties, and specifies how supervision is to be exercised. For the first time, there is now a single comprehensive piece of legislation covering Dutch museums and their holdings, historical sites and archaeology both on land and under water. Together with the new Environment and Planning Act (expected to come into force in 2018) the Heritage Act allows for comprehensive protection of the country’s cultural heritage. It combines existing laws and hundreds of sets of regulations in the areas of e.g. construction, environment, water, spatial planning and nature.

The Netherlands also play an active role internationally: via its membership of the World Heritage Convention, in donating to funds related to conventions, and through the Shared Cultural Heritage programme (chapter 2.2).