UAE’S cultural policies highlighted in Unesco’s webinars
ABU DHABI: The Ministry of Culture and Youth participated in webinars held between March and April 2023 under the G20 Culture Working Group. Organised by UNESCO, a knowledge partner of the Indian Presidency’s Culture Working Group, the webinars presented the UAE’S interventions on four culture-related priorities in the run-up to the ministerial meeting to be held in August this year.
The Ministry’s representatives spoke extensively about the Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property; Harnessing Living Heritage for Sustainable Living; Promotion of Cultural Industries and Creative Industries and Creative Economy; and Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture.
In a statement outlining the gaps and challenges in relevant areas, the spokespersons discussed with other participating countries and international organisations and recommended solutions and best practices to harness the power of heritage, culture and creativity.
The Ministry’s representatives reiterated the value of creating a G20 Culture Working Group Taskforce and the importance of global collaboration to enhance capacities and awareness to contribute to tackling illicit trafficking. They also highlighted the best practices adopted by the UAE, such as creating cultural databases and using technology to map archaeological sites and monuments.
The intervention highlighted the importance of capacity building, raising awareness among civil society in protecting valuable heritage, the impact of climate change on heritage sites and cultural assets and multilateral cooperation to mitigate these challenges.
The second intervention focused on the role of living and natural heritage in advancing Sustainable Development Goals and how the UAE balances traditional practices with contemporary art and design. It also highlighted how the UAE is mainstreaming culture as a significant part of education, making it a key theme in critical global discussions such as COP28.
The third intervention dealt with the creative economy and how the UAE developed its cultural and creative industries as significant contributors to the national GDP. The spokespersons shed light on the 10-year National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries and informed the G20 about the UAE’S policy action for capacity building and nurturing talent as the core of the cultural and creative industries.
They also shared insights on mitigating ongoing crises in the field and how these industries could contribute to the sustainability agenda in the long term.