An international conference in Mexico organized by UNESCO and attended by delegations from 150 countries has declared culture a "global public good."
The declaration at the Mondiacult 2022 conference in Mexico City late last month means that culture could be included as a specific objective when the United Nations determines its next sustainable development goals, UNESCO said in a statement.
"Culture has a fundamental role in our societies," said UNESCO's director-general Audrey Azoulay, who called the declaration "a commitment to action."
"Through culture people can discover their common humanity and become free and enlightened citizens. Yet, despite progress, it still does not have the place it deserves in public policies and international cooperation."
The declaration, which follows 10 months of multilateral negotiations, defines cultural rights to be considered in public policies. They range from artists' rights and artistic freedom to the the protection of cultural heritage and the right of Indigenous communities to safeguard ancestral knowledge.
It also calls for regulation of the digital sector to promote cultural diversity, as well as artists’ intellectual property rights.
As well, the declaration commits governments to intensify the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural goods and calls on the art market not to sell objects with dubious provenances.
Azoulay also announced that UNESCO and Interpol will establish a virtual museum of stolen cultural property by 2025 that will allow people to research provenances.
UNESCO says the cultural and creative sector accounts for some 48 million jobs globally, about six per cent of total employment, and about three per cent of global GDP.
Source: UNESCO