UNESCO and the Nordic Culture Fund join forces to anchor culture in the post-2030 Agenda

Since 2022, UNESCO and the Nordic Culture Fund have explored how culture can be leveraged to make public policies more inclusive. As a result of this collaboration, UNESCO has launched a working paper titled ‘Acting for the Recognition of Culture as a Global Public Good and a Stand-Alone Goal.’ The paper follows the declaration of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT  which was held in Mexico in September 2022 and expands on the notion of culture as a public good. The partnership between UNESCO and the Nordic Culture Fund further underscores a shared commitment to promoting the role of culture in sustainable development, both to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and beyond.

“As we set a course for MONDIACULT 2025, this comprehensive policy brief opportunely recalls why culture matters for public policy – and vice versa. I invite you to revisit the principles of cultural rights, culture as a lever for sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue for peace and security,” says Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO.

Since the endorsement of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the global policy landscape has significantly shifted. There is a call for renewed, culturally diverse multilateralism amid increased human mobility, deepened inequalities, and crises in health, food, and climate. These challenges have hindered progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At all levels of society, there is a growing need for more localised and people-centred development approaches. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis, and rapid technological advancements have further highlighted disparities among – and within – countries, intensifying demands for equity and social justice.

“There is a clear need to anchor culture more explicitly in discussions around sustainability and policy development, particularly at a time marked by complex challenges”, says Maria Mediaas Jørstad, Director of the Nordic Culture Fund. “This working paper outlines clear pathways for recognizing culture as a global public good, further solidifying its role as a fundamental enabler of inclusive, sustainable development of societies. It also opens new avenues for shaping cultural policies by promoting a more transversal understanding of culture’s role across different areas of societies, underscoring at the same time the urgent need to advance cultural rights, diversity cultural expressions and the financial sustainability of the sector.”

Against this backdrop, the Secretary-General of the United Nations released a report, Our Common Agenda, emphasising the role of culture as an enabler of sustainable growth, contributing to job creation, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion. In September 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted the Pact for the Future, which explicitly called on its Member States to integrate culture into their economic, social and environmental policies.

Today, culture is markedly absent from the 2030 Agenda.  As the international community begins to reflect on a post-2030 Agenda, UNESCO calls on the establishment of culture as a stand-alone goal.