<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Barcelona International Convention Center (CCIB) will host the Global Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT) this week. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will participate in its opening this Monday, along with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, co-organizer of the event with UNESCO through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).</strong></h4> The 2025 edition, which will conclude this Wednesday, October 1, will bring together ministers from 194 countries, along with artists, researchers, and representatives of civil society, with the common goal of recognizing culture as a global public good and making it a sustainable development goal. The main objectives of the conference, the world's largest event on cultural policy, are to promote culture as a fundamental pillar of sustainable development (advocating for its inclusion as an independent goal in the United Nations' post-2030 Agenda), serve as a platform for countries and experts to define the global cultural policy agenda for the coming years, and strengthen cooperation to improve cultural information systems and, consequently, public policies globally. At the end of MONDIACULT 2025, the Barcelona Declaration will be adopted, which will set the guidelines for cultural policies for the next decade. Agreements are also expected to strengthen international cooperation and improve working conditions in the cultural sector. This is the third edition of MONDIACULT, following the two held in Mexico in 1982 and 2022. The latter adopted a Ministerial Declaration recognizing culture as a global public good and a human right and calling for its inclusion as a specific goal in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Six areas for urgent action were also identified: cultural rights, culture in the digital age (including artificial intelligence), the integration of culture into education, the economy of culture, the cultural dimensions of climate change, and cultural heritage in crisis (trafficking and destruction). Separately, several events will be held on the sidelines of the Conference, according to the AECID: "Presentation of the Culture, Peace, and Resilience Hub in Lviv (Ukraine)"; "Culture and Sustainable Development: Ibero-American Contributions to the Global Agenda," both on Monday; "Creative Economy: For Effective Financing for Development and Cultural Rights in the Digital Age"; and "Culture and Development Strategy of Spanish Cooperation: 20 Years of Experience," both on Wednesday.
