Issue Brief

Takeaways from G20 Issue Note on Culture

Introduction

Culture is one of the central components of how a society functions and encompasses the unique and individual experiences, people, and practices in various territories, countries, and geographies. In this regard, culture serves not only as an important differentiator but also acts as a bridge between various nations. The G20 serves as an important facilitator of cultural exchange and cooperation, with the grouping representing approximately two-thirds of the global population¹ . The B20, as an affiliate organization of the G20, operates as a medium for the industrial sector of G20 countries to influence global dialogue. In this regard, the B20 also plays an important role in maintaining a culturally tolerant business climate that facilitates global trade.

Priority Areas

The G20 South Africa Issue Note on the Culture Working Group² identifies four key priority areas to guide the Culture Working Group - (i) Safeguarding and Restitution of Cultural Heritage to protect Human Rights, (ii) Integrating Cultural Policies in socio- economic strategies to ensure an Inclusive, Rights-based Development, (iii) Harnessing Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture and (iv) Sustainable Economies, and the Intersection of Culture and Climate Change: Shaping Global Responses.

Under the first key priority area of Safeguarding and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, the G20 recognizes that cultural and natural heritage are intrinsically linked to sustainable development, the achievement of fundamental rights as well as the respect for equal dignity of all cultures. Second, the South Africa G20 plans to continue initiatives under the India and Brazil G20 presidencies as well as the commitments of the 2022 MONDIACULT Declaration that recognized culture as a public good³ . Third, several normative instruments and international mechanisms are available to protect cultural heritage to combat illicit trafficking of cultural property. Fourth, under the principles of equality and solidarity, both tangible and intangible cultural heritage must be safeguarded and promoted, with the understanding that they must hold universal value. Finally, the G20 recognizes that cultural institutions serve as custodians of collective memory.

Under the second key priority area, the G20 will integrate cultural policies with socio- economic strategies to ensure an inclusive, rights-based and equity-driven approach to development. Second, the G20 South Africa would ensure the protection of cultural diversity and cultural rights as a foundational dimension of inclusive cultural policies. Finally, the G20 recommends that nations consider culture as a common good of humanity. The importance of strengthening the governance and the economy of the cultural sector is also highlighted as critical for inclusive cultural policies. Finally, the G20 would strengthen knowledge and data to effectively integrate cultural and social policies.

Under the third key priority area, the G20 recognizes that the transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution has stimulated the intersection of culture, creativity, and technology as critical drivers of economic growth, diversification, and inclusive development. Second, strengthening dialogue and cooperation among the G20 membership could address challenges arising from the impact of digital transformation in the cultural sector. Moreover, the G20 South Africa recognises that the cultural and creative sectors drive economic growth and diversification, particularly through the cultural and creative industries and revenues from cultural tourism. Additionally, the G20 South Africa recognizes that the UNESCO 2017 Digital Guidelines would provide a framework to implement the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in a digital environment. Finally, the group emphasizes that access to digital technologies remains unequal, particularly in developing countries and that AI is having a multifaceted and ripple effect across the value chain for creative content.

Finally, under the fourth key priority area on the intersection of culture and climate change, the G20 South Africa recognizes the commendable advancements in this domain. The G20 South Africa also recognizes that tackling the climate change challenge is paramount and the ecological transition of the cultural sector is critical for driving climate action and fostering resilience. It also recognizes and underscores the importance of indigenous and local knowledge systems as important reservoirs of information and understanding of the environment and changing climate.

Deliverables

The G20 South Africa would implement four key deliverables of the Culture Working Group alongside UNESCO over the course of the year.

First, the G20 South Africa would focus on a side event at MONDIACULT 2025 titled the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development.

Next, it would focus on establishing thematic workshops that congregates all members of the group to foster inclusive dialogue, build knowledge, and share good practices amongst the membership to foster inclusive dialogue, build knowledge and share good practices among the membership. In turn, this dialogue would inform the preparation of the Ministerial Declaration, which may inform the key outcomes of the 2025 G20 Culture Working Group which has two key thematic focus areas - the first being Culture for Climate Action and the second being the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property to effectively implement the UNESCO 1970 Convention in G20 countries.

Third, the G20 would organize events on the margins of the meetings of the G20 Culture Working Groups in relation to the four priority areas of the G20 South Africa that engage both national and local stakeholders as well as representatives of the membership towards an inclusive dialogue that includes an educational component.

Finally, the G20 South Africa would develop a calendar of existing festivals, exchange programs, artistic-cultural residencies to promote dialogue and cultural diplomacy across the G20 grouping.

Conclusion

Culture serves as the backbone of a civilization, acting as both a key differentiator and a shared experience for diverse groups of people around the world. Culture serves as a unifying force and can foster deeper understanding of the world amongst its citizens. The G20 serves as an important centerpoint in global dialogue, and, amidst the ongoing global geopolitical and geoeconomic volatilities, serves as an important driver of global conversations and consensus.

The G20 through activities of its Culture Working Group could help reduce cultural barriers between nations and reignite greater global integration, along with facilitating cultural interaction, which in turn, could significantly improve global commercial trade, investment, and opportunities for businesses.

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