Culture

The Culture Working Group aims to foster discussions and actions aimed at harnessing the transformative potential of culture in society, its impact on the economy and sustainable and inclusive development, as well as the promotion of a culture of peace and harmony among peoples. By placing culture at the center of our efforts, we can create a legacy of peace, prosperity and cultural enrichment for future generations.

About the WG

Culture, in all its forms, is a powerful force that crosses borders, unites nations, and shapes the course of humanity. In the most diverse socio-cultural contexts, tolerance and respect for cultural differences are essential values for the construction of understandings and the resolution of conflicts. 

As societies invest in cultural preservation, education, and the creative economy, they unlock immense potential for sustainable development, social empowerment, and poverty reduction. With the recognition of culture as a global public asset, on the occasion of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development), in 2022, the international community began to rely on an important argument to position culture as a structuring element for sustainable development in the discussions of the Post-2030 Agenda.

In this sense, the G20 working group intends to continue the trajectory of improvement and expansion of the advances made during the Indian presidency, discussing topics such as: cultural diversity and inclusion; culture, digital environment and copyright; culture and sustainable economic development; preservation, safeguarding and promotion of cultural patrimony. 

While the field of culture is still recovering from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to huge losses in terms of jobs and income in the sector, countries are urged to turn to old and new challenges: conflicts in different parts of the world, attacks on cultural diversity, as well as the impacts of technological advances on social and economic relations.

History of the WG

Since 2020 and, in an institutionalized way from 2021, the G20 countries have sought to insert and strengthen the field of culture within the framework of their international relations, aware of its transformative potential for ensuring sustainable development, socially inclusive and articulating respect and cooperation among peoples.

 The progress made since the presidency of Saudi Arabia in 2020, including the first G20 ministerial meeting on culture in Rome, Italy, in 2021, and the advances in the institutionalization of the work of the presidencies of Indonesia and India, point to a consensus around the need for culture to assume a central role in the countries' development strategies.

In Varanasi, India, during the 2023 meeting of Ministers of Culture, the WG terms of reference were approved, which point to the need to build structured dialogues between member countries, seeking to reduce North-South disparities and reaffirm the inclusive value of culture.