First Draft of Culture 21 Actions
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Culture 21 Actions the global toolkit for culture in sustainable development of cities 21 May 2014 - Draft 1 1. BACKGROUND The Agenda 21 for culture, first adopted in 2004, has over the past decade served to stress the role of culture in fostering sustainable development. More than 500 cities, local governments and organisations from all over the world are currently linked to the Agenda 21 for culture. The document has been adopted by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) as its reference document in the field of culture. This decade has also seen a progressive global recognition of culture as an integral factor in sustainable development, as proven by an increasing number of reports, statements and commitments from international institutions, national and local governments, as well as civil society actors, experts and other stakeholders. Likewise, as trends towards urbanisation increased in all world regions and as the economic, social, political, environmental and cultural effects of globalisation became more visible at local level, the role of local governments as fundamental actors in the national and international scene has become more important and visible, despite the diversity of institutional frameworks in which they operate. The principles and undertakings of the Agenda 21 for culture are therefore backed by a growing corpus of knowledge and policy statements, some of which are presented hereafter: 1. The 2004 edition of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report argued that cultural liberty was essential in allowing people to lead a life of their choice, and thus in ensuring human development. Cultural liberty was defined as the ability to choose and participate in shaping his/her culture. The Report made the case for bringing issues of culture to the mainstream of development thinking and practice, in order to build a more peaceful, prosperous world.1 1 Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (director and lead author), Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World. Human Development Report (New York: UNDP, 2004), available at http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/265/hdr_2004_complete.pdf 2. The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted in 2005 and ratified by over 130 countries, recognised that the protection, promotion and maintenance of cultural diversity were an essential requirement for sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations. Therefore, State Parties shall endeavour to integrate culture in their development policies. Relevant measures were to be taken at all levels, including in local policies. Other commitments included the encouragement of the active participation of civil society in policies and programmes related to the diversity of cultural expressions.2 3. Also in the UNESCO context, 2003’s Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, ratified by over 150 countries to this day, stressed the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a guarantee of sustainable development, providing communities and groups with a sense of identity and continuity. Intangible cultural heritage should be compatible with existing international human rights instruments and with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, as well as with those of sustainable development.3 4. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007, recognised that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributed to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment. It also established a number of rights of indigenous peoples, including the right to maintain and strengthen their cultural institutions, the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture, the right to practise and revitalise their cultural traditions and customs, the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations, the right to establish their own media in their own languages and the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.4 2 UNESCO, Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005), especially articles 2.6, 4.6, 11 and 13. Available at http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php- URL_ID=31038&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. 3 UNESCO, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), especially Preamble and article 2.1. Available at http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php- URL_ID=17716&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. 4 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), especially Preamble and articles 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16 and 31. Available at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf. 5. Increased attention to cultural rights at a global level was also expressed in the UN Human Rights Council’s decision to establish a post of Independent Expert in the field of cultural rights in 2009, for a period of three years. In 2012, a new resolution decided to extend this mandate for a further three years, after which the post holder became a Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. Issues addressed by the Special Rapporteur over the past few years include the right to access cultural heritage, the cultural rights of women and the right to artistic freedom. These documents have contributed to the reinforced recognition of cultural rights as an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible, interrelated and interdependent, and to make public authorities aware of their role in addressing obstacles to the exercise of rights and in designing and implementing policies in line with cultural rights.5 6. Other contributions to the recognition of cultural rights have been made by civil society, including the Fribourg Group’s 2007 Fribourg Declaration on Cultural Rights, resulting from previous activities conducted in partnership with UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organisation of La Francophonie, among others. Authors argued that ‘numerous development strategies have proved inadequate due to their neglect of [cultural] rights’ and that ‘current and potential conflicts are largely caused by violations of cultural rights’ and described a set of cultural rights which were seen as essential to human dignity, including the right to choose a cultural identity, the right to access and participate freely in cultural life, the right to education and training related to one’s cultural identity, the right to free and pluralistic information and the right to participate in the cultural development of communities, whilst respecting other human rights as well as the principles of democratic governance.6 7. The Outcome Document of the MDG Review Summit held at the UN General Assembly in September 2010 affirmed that ‘We emphasize the importance of culture for development and its contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals’ and that ‘We consider that the cultural dimension is important for development. We encourage international cooperation in the cultural field, aimed 5 For additional information on the role and activities of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, visit http://www.ohchr.org/en/Issues/CulturalRights/Pages/SRCulturalRightsIndex.aspx. 6 Fribourg Group, ‘Cultural Rights: Fribourg Declaration’ (2007), quotes taken from page 12, available at http://www.unifr.ch/iiedh/assets/files/Declarations/declaration-eng4.pdf. at achieving development objectives.’ Specific references to culture were also included elsewhere in the document, including with regard to indigenous peoples and the need to adapt HIV prevention programmes to cultural contexts. On the other hand, the Outcome Document also stressed the important role played by local institutions and communities in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.7 7 United Nations General Assembly, ‘Keeping the promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals’ (2010), especially para. 16, 55, 66 and 76(b). Available at http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/pdf/mdg%20outcome%20document.pdf. 8. The Outcome Document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development held in June 2012 (‘Rio+20’), which was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly, again stressed the place of culture in development, by affirming that ‘We acknowledge the natural and cultural diversity of the world, and recognize that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to sustainable development.’ The document also stated that cities can promote sustainable societies if they are well planned and developed, including through integrated planning and management approaches – a holistic approach to urban development and human settlements was needed, including the conservation, as appropriate, of the natural and cultural heritage of human settlements, the revitalisation of historic districts and the rehabilitation of city centres. It also called for increased participation of urban residents in decision- making and the promotion of partnerships among cities and communities.8 9. Since 2010, the UN General Assembly has adopted three resolutions which stress the connection between culture and development. The most recent resolution, adopted in 2013, recognised the role