From September 27 to October 1, the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD) travelled to Barcelona, Spain, to take part in MONDIACULT 2025, the world’s largest conference dedicated to cultural policies and sustainable development. In parallel, the IFCCD participated in the Civic Agora held alongside MONDIACULT, where it actively contributed to making the voices of the organizations it represents heard.
A Global Consensus on the Future of Culture in a Changing World
The IFCCD welcomes the consensus that emerged around the establishment of a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Culture at this global gathering. The final MONDIACULT 2025 documentv, adopted by Ministers of Culture, reflects a shared vision: the recognition that “culture contributes (…) to sustainable development” and that “in a future development framework to be decided by Member States through United Nations mechanisms, culture should be considered as a stand-alone goal in its own right.”
While the IFCCD would have hoped for even more ambitious commitments, it nonetheless welcomes this explicit recognition of culture as an essential driver and catalyst for sustainable development. This milestone reflects a growing willingness among countries to better integrate culture into global public policies, as 93% of UNESCO Member States already report including it in their national sustainable development plans.
The final document also reaffirms the need to “promote a human-centred and rights-based approach to the digital environment, respectful of cultural rights, fostering fairness and accessibility, valuing the diversity of cultural expressions – notably through the discoverability of national and local content on digital platforms – and ensuring the availability of multilingual content and systems.”
These commitments—directly addressing digital transformation and artificial intelligence—align closely with the priorities the IFCCD has long advocated for. Protecting the rights of artists, creators, and rights holders in the digital environment; addressing unethical uses of AI; recognizing human creativity; supporting the discoverability of multilingual cultural content on digital platforms; involving the cultural sector in policymaking related to AI; and safeguarding copyright—all these commitments featured in the final MONDIACULT 2025 document confirm that the regulation of artificial intelligence and digital technologies has now become a global and cultural issue in its own right.
The Need for a Culture Goal, According to the IFCCD
During the Civic Agora, IFCCD Secretary General Marie-Julie Desrochers spoke on a panel entitled The Need for a Culture Goal, which brought together members of the Culture2030Goal campaign’s steering committee. She delivered a powerful plea for a culture goal in the future global sustainable development framework, emphasizing that:
“Those who create must be able to make a living from their art, and including culture as a goal in the future global sustainable development framework is a concrete and essential lever to achieve that. It is necessary to reduce imbalances and ensure that current and future generations can connect through respect and the celebration of their diversity.”
Her message resonated strongly with several leading figures in international cultural diplomacy, including Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture; Alexandra Xanthaki, UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; the Minister of Culture of Brazil; as well as political representatives from the host country, including Spain’s Minister of Culture and Catalonia’s Minister of Culture.
An Engaged International Delegation
The IFCCD was also represented by an active international delegation whose participation in various panels reflected the richness and diversity of perspectives within the network:
- Holly Aylett, Executive Director of the UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity and IFCCD Board Member, took part in the panel Achieving Cultural Policy Goals Through Coordinated Action and Dialogue;
- Marie-Christine Morin, Executive Director of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française, joined the panel Culture as a Public Good and Economic Driver: Strengthening Cultural Diversity Through Economic Development in the Age of Generative AI, moderated by Marie-Julie Desrochers, with remarks from Nathalie Verge, Deputy Minister of the Québec Ministry of Culture and Communications, who underscored the importance of acting for discoverability, the effectiveness of the 2005 Convention, and the adoption of an additional protocol;
- Guillaume Prieur, IFCCD President and Secretary General of the French Coalition for Cultural Diversity, participated in the panel Augmented Creativity: Artificial Intelligence and Cultural Practices;
- Mahamadou Adamou, IFCCD Vice President and representative of the Nigerien Coalition for Cultural Diversity, joined the panel Fair Culture: A Lever for Sustainable Development. Creating a Tool for Equitable Collaboration in the Global Cultural and Creative Sector;
- The IFCCD also facilitated the participation of Barbara Filion, practitioner in arts, culture, and Indigenous policy, and Satau Gakemotho, in the panel Listening to the Land: Indigenous Knowledges in Policy.
The IFCCD’s presence at MONDIACULT 2025 demonstrates a renewed commitment to advancing the recognition of culture as a fully-fledged Sustainable Development Goal. Building on the rich exchanges held with a wide range of partners, the Federation will continue to engage with States and international organizations to ensure that culture is fully integrated into the future global development framework.