Culture lobby targets UN development agenda

A campaign calling for culture to be included in post 2015 sustainable development goals is being spearheaded by a group of international culture networks.

The campaign, launched on 1 May, is based around a ‘Declaration on the Inclusion of Culture in the Sustainable Development Goals’, developed jointly by organisations including the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies, Culture Action Europe, Arterial Network, the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD) and the International Music Council.

Nearly 400 organisations and individuals from over 75 countries across all continents have so far signed the declaration, which was prompted by concerns that the next set of goals for development would not recognise the contribution that culture can make.

“The word ‘culture’ was completely absent from the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ adopted in 2000 and it would be a disaster for this to happen again”, said Charles Vallerand, Secretary General of the IFCCD, speaking on behalf of campaign organisers and declaration signatories.

Global expenditure on development over the next 15 years will be defined by the set of Sustainable Development Goals to be agreed by UN Member States in coming months.

But despite some of the networks involved in the campaign having already submitted a document to the UN, outlining the justification for a goal for culture and putting forward several proposals for targets and indicators, culture is “virtually absent” from the latest draft list of 16 ‘focus areas’.

Vallerand added: “Development will have been truly achieved when all citizens can participate in and enjoy the music, dance, literature, visual representations, heritage and all other expressions of the arts and culture of their own community and beyond… If culture is not mentioned, it will be extremely difficult for countries to elaborate policies and provide funds for projects that rely on culture’s role as a driver and enabler of sustainable development.” The declaration was presented to the UN General Assembly on 5 May at the debate on ‘Culture and Sustainable Development in the Post-2015 Development Agenda’.