India takes part in global G7 ministers' meeting on culture in Italy

Ahead of the UN Summit of the Future, India on Saturday told a key global meeting of culture ministers in Italy that it is "incumbent upon us to advocate vociferously" for the inclusion of culture as an autonomous goal within the Pact for the Future.

The summit in New York, to be held on September 22 and 23, will produce an inter-governmentally negotiated, action-oriented Pact for the Future with chapters on issues ranging from sustainable development and financing for development to international peace and security.

An Indian delegation led by Arunish Chawla, the secretary in the Union Ministry of Culture, along with Lily Pandeya, the joint secretary in the ministry, took part in the Special Session of G7 Ministers meeting on Culture in Italy's Naples, the ministry said in a statement.

In his address, Chawla emphasised recognising culture not as a "static relic of our collective past, but as a dynamic catalyst for growth", it said.

He advocated that the recognition of culture as a standalone goal within the post-2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is "not merely a diplomatic triumph". It is a "paradigm shift in our conceptualisation of development itself", Chawla said.

"As we stand on the cusp of the United Nations Summit of the Future, it is incumbent upon us to advocate vociferously for the inclusion of culture as an autonomous goal within the Pact for the Future," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

Chawla mentioned that last November's Naples Conference on Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century explored the synergies between the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 2003 ICH Convention.

"It was during India's G20 presidency, that one of our expert-driven Global Thematic Webinars spotlighted the necessity of this synergy on a global platform for the first time," the statement said.

The meeting was also attended by culture leaders of the African Union, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US along with the heads of UNESCO, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the African Development Bank.

The Naples Statement was signed on 'Culture for the Sustainable Development of Africa and the World'. It is aimed at working with African governments to leverage culture as a driver of sustainable development, the Culture Ministry's statement said.

The Naples Statement seeks to foster "reciprocal knowledge sharing" with African governments and cultural institutions to support efforts to boost cultural and creative sectors and industries; protect cultural property from illicit trafficking; promote, safeguard and sustainably manage cultural heritage and strengthen the presence of Africa on the UNESCO heritage lists, it said.
 

Considering the importance of culture as a transformative driver and an enabler for the achievement of SDGs set out in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the full recognition and integration of culture and the creative economy into the development processes and policies has been underscored while promoting the inclusion of culture as a standalone goal in future discussions on how to advance sustainable development beyond 2030.

It was also agreed to support culture and sustainable development in Africa by fostering partnerships and policies that align with African governments' development priorities, and respect the cultural diversity of African countries, the ministry said.

On the sidelines of the G7 outreach session, Chawla held bilateral meetings with the Italian minister of culture; director general of ICCROM, and the US delegation. Indian Ambassador to Italy Vani Rao attended the bilateral meetings.

Important issues related to cultural cooperation were discussed during the meetings, the statement by the Culture Ministry said.