- Participating in a side event hosted by Brazil’s Ministry of Culture, UAE representatives shed light on creative economy
Abu Dhabi-: The Ministry of Culture participated in the third Culture Working Group (CWG) of G20 held in Rio de Janeiro from August 5 to 6, 2024. During the meeting, culture and heritage experts from G20 and guest countries reviewed the draft of the Salvador da Bahia Declaration of the G20 Ministers of Culture which will be adopted during their meeting in Salvador da Bahia on November 8, 2024. This declaration is a culmination of the three culture working group meetings over the past six months.
This meeting, held just before the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro which will be hosted by Brazil this year, will bring together heads of member states and guest countries under the theme ‘Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.’
The UAE delegation, led by Shatha Al Mulla, Director of Arts Department at the ministry, has shared key insights about the role of culture in sustainable development, multiculturalism and how cultural exchange can bridge the gaps between nations. The delegation also underscored the critical role of culture in climate action and emphasised the importance of boosting north-south and south-south dialogue and cooperation in building a just and inclusive world.
Commenting on the UAE’s participation, Shatha Al Mulla said, “The UAE’s participation in reviewing the Declaration of the G20 Ministers of Culture underscores the growing significance of the UAE’s contribution to issues of global importance. Promoting culture for sustainable development is a national priority for us, and we acknowledge the significance of culture and identity in building a just and inclusive world.
“We have been stressing the importance of culture and climate action at various international fora, including COP28, which was hosted by the UAE and concluded with ‘The UAE Consensus,’ which was reached by 198 participating Parties, outlining an ambitious climate agenda, and the G20. We will continue to align our narrative with the same goals and push for greater action to leverage culture for development while consolidating efforts to protect and preserve it for future generations.”
The delegates from the participating countries discussed the four priority areas of G20 and how countries could work towards fostering cultural diversity and social inclusion; culture, digital environment and copyright; creative economy and sustainable economic development; and preservation, safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage and memory. They also agreed on key recommendations to make culture a key vector of sustainable development, strengthen cultural diversity, preserve traditional knowledge, and the criticality of regulatory policies on artificial intelligence and copyright in the digital environment, among other clauses included in the declaration.
The UAE delegation also participated in a side event hosted by the Brazilian Ministry of Culture and the Organisation of Ibero-American States (OEI) from August 7 to 9. The ‘International Seminar on Creative Economy: Public Policies and Governance’ featured panel discussions on creative economy where experts from various countries discussed important related topics.
Representing the UAE at this side event, Khulood Khoory, Director of Projects and Events Department, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, participated in a panel discussion titled ‘Creative Economy in Motion: The Role of Festivals as Catalysts for Cultural Dissemination and Circulation.’
The UAE was invited to the G20 Culture Track as a guest country. The delegation from the Ministry of Culture had previously represented the UAE in the first two CWG meetings and participated in the events on the sidelines. The first CWG meeting was hosted virtually earlier this year in March, while the second meeting was held in Brasilia over two days on May 28 and 29, and Shatha Al Mulla led the UAE’s participation in all the meetings.
The G20 2024 process is the UAE’s third consecutive participation as a stand-alone Guest Country, following invitations from the Indian Presidency in 2023 and the Indonesian Presidency in 2022. Before that, the UAE’s participation was under the Saudi and French presidencies in 2020 and 2011, respectively.
