On the occasion of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD) took part in a discussion on the theme “Connecting Cultures in the Digital Era” during the High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Culture and Sustainable Development, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Marie-Julie Desrochers, Secretary General of the IFCCD, delivered a strong message: culture is a driving force for sustainable development and must be fully recognized as such through the adoption of a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). The IFCCD is a member of the #Culture2030Goal campaign’s Steering Committee, which advocates for the inclusion of such a goal in the post-2030 development agenda.

During the dialogue, the IFCCD highlighted several key challenges at the intersection of culture and digital transformation. In particular, it stressed the need for a coordinated and inclusive response to the digital divide. This divide goes beyond connectivity alone—it also includes significant disparities in digital skills, access to funding, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks. This deepens global inequalities, enabling visibility and representation for some, while many remain disconnected and absent from cultural and digital spaces.

The IFCCD also emphasized the urgent need to ensure the discoverability of a diversity of cultural content in digital environments. When recommendation systems are driven solely by algorithms and commercial logic, cultural expressions from minority groups are pushed aside. This dynamic reinforces global imbalances in the circulation of cultural goods and services.

The IFCCD also raised the alarm about the existential risks posed by generative artificial intelligence: trained through the large-scale appropriation of protected works and the unauthorized use of artists’ voices and images, this technology undermines the very foundations of cultural ecosystems — consent, remuneration, and transparency. The IFCCD warned that while AI can support creative processes, it cannot replace the unique human contribution that defines art, rooted in emotion, lived experience, and collective memory.

Read the speech View the opening remarks View the closing remarks

Finally, the IFCCD welcomes the joint statement by the Group of Friends of Culture, calling on all Member States to fully integrate culture into intergovernmental processes, within the United Nations system and relevant regional organizations, as a catalyst for the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda, and sustainable development for all.

This event is part of a series of major upcoming milestones, including the Conference of Parties to the 2005 Convention and the celebrations marking the Convention’s 20th anniversary from June 17 to 20, and most notably MONDIACULT 2025, to be held in Barcelona from September 29 to October 1, 2025.