For the first time, the culture ministers of the G20 countries will meet in Italy. In the end, they agree on a comprehensive, joint declaration. Germany brought a proposal for a disaster.
The meeting of the G20 culture ministers in Rome came to an end with the unanimous approval of the protection and development of the cultural sector.
Culture is a major growth factor for society, said Italy’s Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini at the final press conference on Friday. The declaration has no symbolic character, but with its 31 points is rich in everything that had been discussed in the months before. Italy hosted the first official meeting of G20 culture ministers as part of its G20 presidency.
The round of the 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries called on governments to recognize culture as an integral part of labor market or health policy, for example. They recommended that culture be included in political plans for the post-coronavirus pandemic and that people in the cultural sector have access to support for their business and social security.
They also recognized in the declaration that the misuse of the art of indigenous and local communities, for example through production and sale, contributes to the destruction of their cultural heritage. The G20 also emphasized that sustainable cultural tourism is important for the preservation of cultural heritage. They welcomed international programs with which, in an emergency, rapid action can be taken to protect cultural heritage, for example when it is threatened by destruction.
Germany’s Minister of State for International Cultural Policy, Michelle Müntefering, presented a program at the conference to protect cultural assets with technical means and experts in the event of a disaster. A test deployment in the Sudanese capital Khartoum is planned this autumn, said the 41-year-old. The network of experts is to be expanded by 2024. According to Müntefering, this year Germany is investing 1.5 million euros in digitization as part of the program.
Müntefering promoted a quick task force that knew what to do in emergencies such as the fire in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. There is already a collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute, which has people with the necessary expertise all over the world.
In five topics, the G20 further emphasized that culture is a driver for the economy because it offers jobs and thus income. It also makes a contribution to society by supporting health, inclusion, gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The illegal trade in cultural goods was also a topic of the meeting. This and the destruction of objects and cultural knowledge could ultimately lead to irreversible damage to the cultural heritage. With a view to climate change, the G20 pointed out that all forms of culture offer great potential in the fight against it.
A central point in the declaration is also the digitization of culture. The digital world is a driver for the cultural sector because it can reach a new audience and promote cultural exchange. On the Internet, however, users need to be protected from disinformation and hate messages.
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