Update on February 11, 2025

The International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD) participated in UNESCO’s regional consultations for Mondiacult 2025. The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2025 will be hosted by the Spanish government from September 29 to October 1, 2025. Cultural rights, culture and education, and support for a Sustainable Development Goal dedicated to culture were among the main themes addressed in the speeches. In particular, the IFCCD presented papers in several key sessions:

• Session 1: Cultural Rights, Digital Technologies in the Culture Sector, Culture and Education
  • The IFCCD emphasized the importance of regulating online platforms to support cultural ecosystems, in collaboration with civil society, highlighting Canada’s Modernized Broadcasting Act as an example in the consultation for Western Europe and North America.
• Session 2: Economy of Culture, Culture and Climate Action, and Culture, Heritage, and Crisis
  • The intervention focused on recognizing culture as a global public good, like science, highlighting its fundamental role in societal healing and resilience, and emphasizing the need to move towards an ecosystemic approach to culture—one that values cultural expressions as knowledge systems essential to conviviality, social cohesion, well-being, and environmental sustainability.
• Session 3: Emerging Focus Areas Relevant for Culture
  • The intervention addressed the challenges of generative AI, calling for the integration of principles of transparency, consent, and remuneration, while advocating for the development of indicators to assess its impact on culture and artists. During the Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation, the Federation also emphasized that artistic freedom of expression, access to culture, and the right to participate in cultural life must be protected on the same level as social and economic rights.
• Session 4: Culture as a Stand-alone Goal in the next UN post-2030 Agenda
  • As a member of the Steering Group of the #Culture2030Goal Campaign, the IFCCD advocated for the adoption of a Sustainable Development Goal dedicated to culture, emphasizing the central role of artists and their creativity in sustainable development.

Consultation for Western Europe and North America, November 21 and 22, 2024 in Madrid (Spain) and online

• Remarks by Marie-Julie Desrochers, IFCCD General Secretary and Executive Director the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (Canada)

Read the speeches

Consultation for Latin American and Caribbean States, December 9 and 10, 2024 online

• Interventions by Alejandra Díaz, IFCCD Vice-President Americas and representative of the Paraguayan Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CPDC)

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Consultation for the Arab States, January 13, 15 and 20, 2025, in Rabat (Morocco) and online

• Intervention by Anthony Abdel Karim, associate member of the IFCCD and representative of the Club des Artistes Plasticiens Libanais (CAPL)

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Consultation for the African States, January 22, 23, 2025, online

• Intervention by Boniface Sagbohan, regular member of the IFCCD and representative of the Coalition béninoise pour la diversité culturelle (the intervention was not delivered but will be transmitted).

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Consultation for the Asian and Pacific States, February 5 and 6 2025, online

• Interventions by Hiroko Tsuboi-Friedman, Individual member of the IFCCD and co-founder of Culture All Nippon

Read the speeches