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Culture and development: action and impact
The political will of increasing the dynamism of the development process so as to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) as expressed by the Heads of State and of government at their meeting in New York1, in September 2010, has taken shape through the adoption of a final document2 which reaffirms the importance of culture and its contribution to the development process and to the efforts made in order to achieve the MDGs.
"par.16 : We acknowledge the diversity of the world and recognize that all cultures and civilizations contribute to the enrichment of humankind. We emphasize the importance of culture for development and its contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals”
”par.66 : We consider that the cultural dimension is important for development. We encourage international cooperation in the cultural field, aimed at achieving development objectives”.
The New York resolution reiterates the final declaration of the Johannesburg3 summit in September 2002 which had already recognised culture as the fourth pillar of sustainable development and the fundamental role which it has to play in the development of society and humankind.
Similarly, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which entered into force in March 2007, highlights the dual nature of culture as a value in its own right and as a tool for economic progress, whilst preserving its unique character which means that it may not be considered in the same manner as any other good, and formalises the decision taken by the international community of creating an environment propitious to the development of cultural and creative expressions and activities.
More recently, April 2009 Brussels Declaration4, adopted by artists and cultural operators (participating in the international seminar entitled Culture and creation, factors of development), reinforces the role and the potential of culture as a driver for development. This declaration calls for increased commitment from civil society, governments and the international community in this direction.
These political commitments must be backed up today by a proactive and convergent strategy (question of topic) which genuinely integrates the cultural dimension in the international cooperation as well as in national programmes. Culture does indeed remain all too often left aside of the development processes.
In recent years, governments, international organisations and institutions involved in promoting ties between culture and development initiated a series of awareness raising and communication initiatives, including the commission of studies on the economic value of different strands of the cultural sector and impact studies of projects conducted within this same sector.
In keeping with this strategy, the compilation of projects presented in this brochure, although non exhaustive, illustrates the contribution and positive impact of culture in the development process, notably in terms of improving living conditions and the quality of life of beneficiaries, initiating dialogue and preventing conflicts.
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >