High-Level Seminar: The inclusion of Culture in Development Programmes, Opportunities and Challenges for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Background summary

The High-Level Seminar on The inclusion of culture in development programmes in the framework of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility Project: opportunities and challenges for the diversity of cultural expressions was held in Brussels on Friday 5 June 2015 at the Centre for Fine Arts – BOZAR.

The event was organized by UNESCO in cooperation with the Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO) and the Directorate for Education and Culture of the European Commission (DG EAC).

It was the opportunity to present the results of the major UNESCO/EU Expert Facility Projects for the governance of culture, financed by the European Commission, which provided support for the development of stronger cultural policies and for the promotion of creative industries in more than 13 developing countries since 2010.

During the first session, a dialogue took place between experts and representatives from beneficiary countries of the UNESCO/EU Expert Facility Project presenting existing results, challenges andlessons learned. The Seminar’s programme included a High-Level Panel, aimed at building on the achievements of the UNESCO/EU Expert Facility Project and focused on perspectives for culture and development policy in the framework of the Post 2015 Development Agenda.

Opening session

The Secretary of the 2005 Convention, Danielle Cliche, gave the introductory words which were followed by the opening session led by Deputy Director General for International Cooperation and Development, Klaus Rudischhauser who highlighted the degree of commitment from the European Commission and UNESCO to support the vital role that culture plays as a mainstream in international cooperation and development. He emphasized the need to improve management systems in the area of culture. Xavier Prats Monné, Director General for Education and Culture, reminded that the EU is a party to the 2005 Convention and indicated that the EU has taken concrete steps to give real effect to the Convention in its EU internal policies. The UNESCO Assistant Director General for Culture, Alfredo Perez de Armiñán, shared some encouraging and promising results from the Expert Facility Project.

Roundtable session with experts and beneficiary countries representatives on the inclusion of culture in development programmes: opportunities and challenges

A roundtable session on lessons learned gathered 2 representatives from beneficiary countries - Bui Hoai Son, Vice-Director, Viet Nam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), and Benjamine Rose, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Seychelles- and 4 members of the Expert facility Project -Avril Joffe, Francisco d’Almeida, Tom Fleming and Christine Merkel, who acted as moderator-.

The moderator initiated the discussions indicating that 2015 provides a special momentum to develop the debate on the relationship between culture and sustainable development. The representatives from Seychelles and Viet Nam, as representatives from the beneficiary countries, expressed their views, balancing needs and solutions required as assessed by the Expert Facility Project.

The speakers highlighted some concrete outcomes and main results of the established tandem partnerships between experts and beneficiaries: the catalytic role of the experts as a unique learning and cooperation opportunity to create a joint and sustainable learning experience; the promotion of dialogue between stakeholders as a hidden result of the Expert Facility Project; the strengthening of human and institutional capacities in the field of cultural public policies; the involvement of all stakeholders and civil society in creating synergies; the engagement of public/private partnerships; the innovative funding mechanisms and the new modes of cooperation for development.

Various challenges that the teams encountered were also expressed during the debate: the need for public inter-Ministerial coordination when culture is on discussion; the coherence between the results of the Expert Facility Project and the priorities of the beneficiary countries. It was also highlighted the need to invest on education on culture as well as the need of indicators as a cumulative way to connect systems to help countries build evidence and knowledge based from within.

Finally, during the final part of the roundtable, concrete steps were proposed on the way forward. The importance of the culture sector on development policies was also recalled as well as the need to increase its visibility. In addition, some of the experts suggested mobilizing civil society for the creation of ownership in culture and development activities. The need to increase promotion, serious commitment and dialogue among partners and stakeholders was also emphasized. Some methodological aspects were also discussed by the experts such as the need to increase demonstration activities which put in evidence the tangibility of culture as well as the importance of fostering innovation.

During the question and answer session, several issues were highlighted by the audience, such as the continuation of the Expert facility Project, the role of the local governments and municipalities on the project, the need of the dissemination of the outcomes of the project as the modules of training and methodology and the Expert Facility as an example of “multilayer governance”, among others.

High-Level Panel on culture and development

A High-Level Panel on culture and development, with Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO and Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development was at the heart of this event.

In the opening remarks, Xavier Prats Monné, Director General for Education and Culture indicated that the role of culture for sustainable development was still not well known and emphasized that “Culture is not the cherry on the cake, culture is the cake.” The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, stated that culture stands at the crossroad of sustainability issues and added that the creative sector represents millions of jobs and drives growth, being also a wellspring of cohesion, identity and collective mobilization. Moreover, she underlined that this combination was a development multiplier, highlighting the excellent cooperation with the European Commission, undertaking extensive work for stronger inclusion of culture in development and cooperation programmes.

The European Commissioner, Neven Mimica highlighted in his statement the importance of culture and cultural expression in supporting international cooperation and development policy and the important role culture can play in the post-2015 agenda He also underlined the need to improve the capacity to take the cultural context into account in the planning and design of development actions.

More than 150 participants attended the Seminar, which facilitated debates, statements and discussions. A large number of Ambassadors accredited in Brussels attended the seminar as well as other members of the diplomatic corps, government officials from European Union Member States, officials from the European Commission, representatives of cultural institutions, researchers, experts and other key stakeholders. The event was very positively assessed by both, the organizers and the participants. As a result, during the closing remarks it was stressed that this High Level Seminar is a fundamental step in the ongoing cumulative process of fostering culture and development dialogue.

A final report of the event is being prepared with a summary of the main ideas collected in the course of the High-Level Seminar, including the opening remarks, the roundtable discussion and the High-Level Panel on culture and development.