The Diplomat
The Popular Parliamentary Group in Congress has presented a non-legislative motion proposing the annual presentation to Congress of the cultural cooperation programming of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the approval of a Strategy of Cultural Action of the State Abroad.
The proposal, presented on November 25 for debate in the International Cooperation Commission, states that “the history of the world cannot be understood without the contribution of Spain, so the competitive advantages that our country possesses can and should be exploited in the international environment, and even more so, in all the regions where we are present as a cooperating partner”. “In fact, one of the main assets we have on the world stage is our millenary culture, our unique history and a language spoken by 500 million people in the world,” it continues.
According to the PP, “culture is one of the main levers to promote the so-called soft power in foreign policy” and, therefore, “since the PP government approved the current regulatory framework in 1998, Spanish Cooperation has been a pioneer in cultural cooperation”.
“There are many instruments available to the State for this issue,” recalls the Popular Group. “In addition to what is done directly through the Ministry, the Instituto Cervantes and Acción Cultural del Estado are among the most representative,” it continues. In addition, Spain “allocates funds to manage and implement public policies of cultural cooperation for development, which are articulated through two major programs, About and Heritage for Development, which seek to strengthen the capacities of our partners in all areas of culture and promote cultural opportunities for individuals and communities as substantial elements of sustainable human development.”
“In short, Spain is a world reference in many aspects, including culture” and, therefore, “it is very important to be aware that disseminating and sharing our culture in all regions where Spain is a cooperating partner is essential to contribute to development,” reads the motion. “However, certain actions of the current government reveal the lack of coordination, improvisation and lack of commitment when preparing the contents of our cooperation abroad that reflect the value, importance and significance of our culture,” regrets the PP.
For this reason, the Popular Parliamentary Group urges the Government, in its Proposition not of Law, to “present annually in the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Congress the programming of the activities that in the matter of cultural cooperation are promoted from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation”, and to “approve a Strategy of Cultural Action of the State in the Exterior that establishes the priorities, coordinates and is the common framework to the set of Plans that the different institutions of the Government develop in the cultural scope outside Spain”.