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Mondiacult: UNESCO’s Global Conference on Cultural Policies
What is Mondiacult?
Mondiacult is UNESCO’s World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, a landmark international forum that brings together ministers of culture, policymakers, cultural professionals, and civil society representatives from around the world. This high-level meeting addresses emerging challenges in the cultural sector and shapes global cultural policy frameworks for the coming decades.
Historical Development
The First Mondiacult (1982)
The inaugural World Conference on Cultural Policies, known as Mondiacult, was held in Mexico City in 1982. This groundbreaking event marked the first time cultural ministers from across the globe gathered specifically to address cultural policy. The conference produced the Mexico City Declaration on Cultural Policies, which:
- Expanded the definition of culture beyond arts and heritage to include “ways of life, value systems, traditions, and beliefs”
- Established the fundamental link between culture and development
- Emphasized cultural identity, cultural diversity, and international cultural cooperation
- Called for cultural policies that protect and enhance cultural heritage
The 1982 Mondiacult is widely regarded as having laid the groundwork for UNESCO’s subsequent cultural policy frameworks, including the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997) and later conventions on cultural diversity.
Mondiacult 2022
After a 40-year hiatus, UNESCO revived the Mondiacult conference in September 2022 in Mexico City. Mondiacult 2022 brought together nearly 150 states represented by over 100 ministers and vice-ministers of culture.
General view during the inauguration of Mondiacult 2022 in Mexico City (Mexico). EFE/José Méndez
The conference focused on:
- The cultural sector’s recovery post-COVID-19
- Culture’s role in sustainable development
- Protection of cultural heritage in conflict zones
- Digital transformation of the cultural sector
- Cultural rights as human rights
The 2022 conference concluded with the adoption of the Mexico Declaration on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, which defined culture as a “global public good” and called for its inclusion as a standalone goal in the post-2030 development agenda.
Mondiacult 2025: Barcelona
Building on the momentum of the 2022 revival, UNESCO has announced that Barcelona, Spain will host Mondiacult 2025. This marks a shift from the previous 40-year gap between conferences to a more regular convening schedule, highlighting the increasing importance of cultural policy in addressing global challenges.
Why Barcelona?
Barcelona was selected as the host city due to:
- Spain’s commitment to cultural policy development and international cultural cooperation
- Barcelona’s reputation as a cultural hub with a strong focus on innovation and sustainable urban cultural development
- The city’s experience hosting major international events
- Spain’s leadership in implementing UNESCO’s cultural conventions
- Barcelona’s multicultural character and commitment to cultural diversity
Focus Areas for Mondiacult 2025
The Barcelona conference will address eight crucial themes:
- Digital Cultural Transformation: Examining how digital technologies are reshaping cultural creation, access, and preservation.
- Climate Action through Culture: Exploring how cultural resources and traditional knowledge can contribute to climate resilience.
- Cultural Rights in Challenging Times: Addressing threats to cultural rights in contexts of political instability and forced migration.
- Cultural Economy and Fair Remuneration: Developing frameworks to ensure sustainable livelihoods for cultural professionals.
- Culture in Urban Planning: Showcasing innovations in integrating culture into sustainable urban development.
- Cultural Heritage Protection: Strengthening mechanisms for safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage amid various threats.
- Culture and Artificial Intelligence:
- Exploring the ethical dimensions of AI in cultural contexts. This theme will examine:
- Ethical frameworks for AI development and deployment in cultural sectors
- Protection of cultural rights in algorithmic decision-making
- Preservation of cultural diversity in AI-driven content creation and curation
- Capacity building for cultural professionals in understanding and utilizing AI
- Addressing potential biases in AI systems that may marginalize certain cultural expressions
- Ensuring AI serves as a tool for cultural democratization rather than homogenization
- Developing international standards for responsible AI use in museums, archives, and creative industries
- Culture of Peace:
- Developing initiatives that use culture as a foundation for peace-building. This expansive theme will address:
- Conceptual Framework: Building on UNESCO’s longstanding commitment to promoting a Culture of Peace, defined as a set of values, attitudes, and behaviors that reject violence and address root causes of conflict
- Cross-cultural Dialogue: Establishing platforms for intercultural and interfaith dialogue to foster mutual understanding and respect across diverse communities
- Educational Initiatives: Integrating peace education, conflict resolution, and critical thinking skills into cultural and educational programs
- Heritage for Peace: Utilizing shared cultural heritage as neutral spaces for reconciliation in post-conflict settings
- Media and Communication: Promoting responsible journalism and media literacy to counter hate speech and misinformation
- Gender Equality: Addressing gender-based violence and promoting women’s leadership in peace-building through cultural initiatives
- Youth Engagement: Creating targeted programs for youth participation in cultural peace-building activities
- Indigenous Knowledge: Recognizing and incorporating indigenous conflict resolution practices and wisdom traditions
- Arts for Peace: Supporting artistic expressions that promote healing, reconciliation, and nonviolent social transformation
- Digital Cooperation: Establishing ethical guidelines for online cultural exchanges that foster respect and understanding
The Significance of the Culture of Peace Theme
The inclusion of Culture of Peace as a dedicated theme represents a significant evolution in UNESCO’s approach to cultural policy. While previous Mondiacult conferences touched on peace-related aspects, the 2025 conference elevates this dimension to a central focus in recognition that:
- Cultural tensions often underlie broader societal conflicts
- Cultural expressions can serve as powerful tools for reconciliation
- Sustainable development is impossible without peaceful societies
- Traditional cultural practices often contain valuable conflict resolution mechanisms
- Digital transformation creates both new opportunities and challenges for peace-building
- Cultural institutions can serve as “peace infrastructures” in divided communities
The theme aligns with UNESCO’s founding mission “to build peace in the minds of men and women” and connects cultural policy directly to UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
Barcelona’s selection as host city carries particular resonance for this theme, as Catalonia has navigated complex cultural identity questions through democratic dialogue rather than violence, potentially offering lessons for other regions.
Expected Outcomes
Mondiacult 2025 is anticipated to produce:
- A Barcelona Declaration on Cultural Policies that builds upon previous frameworks
- Concrete action plans for implementing the Culture of Peace agenda through cultural institutions
- Ethical guidelines for AI applications in cultural contexts
- New international cooperation mechanisms for cultural policy development
- Enhanced monitoring tools for measuring culture’s contribution to sustainable development and peace
- Strengthened networks among cultural ministries and institutions globally
Significance of Mondiacult
Mondiacult conferences represent critical junctures in global cultural policy development. They provide a platform for international consensus-building on cultural issues and elevate culture’s place in broader policy discussions.
The Barcelona conference in 2025, with its expanded focus on AI ethics and the Culture of Peace, acknowledges the profound technological and social challenges facing humanity. By positioning culture at the intersection of technological innovation and peace-building efforts, Mondiacult 2025 aims to equip cultural institutions and policymakers with frameworks to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
The outcomes from Barcelona will likely influence how countries approach cultural policy development well into the 2030s, particularly in harnessing culture’s potential to foster peaceful societies amid rapid technological change and ongoing global challenges.
The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2025 will be hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from September 29 to October 1, 2025.