ICOMOS Participates in the First Meeting for the Ministers of Culture at the G20 Summit
Toshiyuki Kono, President of ICOMOS, participated in the virtual “Joint Meeting for the Ministers of Culture” held by the Saudi Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the G20 Summit hosted this year by Saudi Arabia on November 4. This meeting was the first step towards establishing an annual event to promote the integration of culture into the global policy agenda.
Held as a preparatory meeting, this event helped secure culture as its own G20 track, paving the way for stronger cooperation to speed the cultural sector’s post-pandemic recovery and to reinforce culture’s role in sustainable development, resilience, and shared prosperity.
Under the theme “The Rise of the Cultural Economy: a new Paradigm”, world Ministers of Culture and heads of international cultural organizations and NGOs met to discuss the importance of the global cultural economy, its impact on the world and how to help its growth.
Three key topics were addressed:
- Heritage preservation
- Culture as a catalyst for economic growth and global exchange
- Sustainable development
During the meeting, participants emphasised the importance of culture for fostering international dialogue, and its role in financial and social stability and sustainability. They called for the development of public policies on cultural diversity and rights, the development of new and stabilised economic models, and for the need to adapt to digital transformation. Finally, one of the meeting’s key annoncements was the creation of a world-class center dedicated to the management, restoration and protection of underwater cultural heritage.