Advancing Rights, Knowledge and Access

On World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, we recognise the important role of cultural diversity in fostering peace, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and strengthening intercultural dialogue as a foundation for social cohesion.

In this blog, we offer an overview of World Day for Cultural Diversity, discuss this year’s theme, Bridging Divides Through Shared Heritage, as well as key focus areas including artistic and cultural rights, Indigenous knowledge systems, digital equity, and heritage protection. We also examine relevant developments in international cultural policy, including those set out in the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration.

Recognising Culture as a Global Public Good

The importance of cultural diversity in the global policy landscape was highlighted at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2022), where 150 Member States endorsed a declaration positioning culture as a “global public good”. This framing calls attention to the social, environmental and economic contribution of culture, and supports its integration into future development agendas, including those beyond 2030.

Culture extends beyond the arts to include the values, beliefs, traditions and knowledge systems that shape societies. MONDIACULT 2022 reiterated that cultural diversity contributes to resilience, identity, and innovation, and emphasised the role of culture in climate action, urban development, digital transformation, and conflict recovery. Ministers at the conference supported broader recognition of cultural rights, particularly in light of growing inequality, the impact of climate change, and digital disruption.

“Culture has a fundamental role in our societies. Through culture people can discover their common humanity and become free and enlightened citizens. Yet, despite progress, it still does not have the place it deserves in public policies and international cooperation. MONDIACULT 2022 is a powerful signal to change this.” – Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General

2025 Theme and International and Australian Cultural Frameworks

This year, the theme for the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is Bridging Divides Through Shared Heritage. The theme draws attention to the potential of shared cultural legacies to bring communities together, promote understanding across differences, and contribute to peace in a fragmented world.

The observance of World Day for Cultural Diversity also reflects the broader aims of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. These include fostering sustainable systems of cultural governance, enabling a more balanced exchange of cultural goods and services, supporting the mobility of artists and cultural professionals, embedding culture within development frameworks, and upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms. These goals provide a foundation for efforts to reduce inequalities within the cultural sector and to expand opportunities for diverse participation.

UNESCO estimates that the cultural and creative sector provides more than 48 million jobs globally, representing 6.2% of total employment. Close to half of these roles are held by women, and the sector employs more people under 30 than any other. Despite this, the cultural sector remains under-represented in public policy and international cooperation frameworks.

This underrepresentation affects artists and cultural workers whose livelihoods and freedom of expression are often at risk, particularly in digital environments. The MONDIACULT Declaration notes the need for improved support mechanisms to ensure equitable access to cultural markets, greater protections for intellectual property, and improved employment conditions.

Advancing Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Rights

The inclusion of Indigenous communities and traditional knowledge systems in cultural policy frameworks is another area of focus. The MONDIACULT Declaration highlights the right of Indigenous peoples to maintain and share ancestral knowledge and cultural practices, including language, storytelling, and land-based heritage. It also acknowledges the ongoing challenges posed by displacement, climate change, and cultural appropriation.

Efforts to address these issues involve protecting the rights of communities to control and benefit from their cultural expressions, as well as ensuring prior and informed consent in cultural initiatives. UNESCO continues to advocate for inclusive policy approaches that reflect the diversity of cultural actors and the distinct needs of Indigenous and marginalised groups.

In Australia, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) – which refers to the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to control and protect their cultural heritage in all its forms, including oral traditions, languages, symbols, art, knowledge of Country, and practices tied to land, healing, and ecology – is gaining increasing recognition. In our previous blog, Indigenous Cultural & Intellectual Property, we explored ICIP in greater detail through the lens of our own Reconciliation Action Plan. For more, please read that blog here.

Equitable Access to the Digital Environment

Digital transformation has reshaped how cultural content is created, shared and consumed. While digital tools offer new opportunities for creativity, access and preservation, they also pose challenges to cultural equity. The concentration of global platforms, lack of algorithmic transparency, and unequal digital access can limit the visibility of diverse cultural expressions and exacerbate existing inequalities.

The MONDIACULT Declaration calls for greater regulation of digital platforms, safeguards for artistic and linguistic diversity, and fair remuneration for artists and cultural practitioners operating in online environments.

Protecting Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis

Cultural heritage – both tangible and intangible – is vulnerable to the impacts of conflict, displacement, natural disasters and climate change. International conventions led by UNESCO have long sought to protect cultural sites, traditional knowledge, and intangible practices, but new challenges continue to emerge. The MONDIACULT Declaration urges action to strengthen emergency response measures and legal protections, including for the return and restitution of cultural property.

The upcoming MONDIACULT 2025 conference in Barcelona, scheduled for 29 September to 1 October, will review national and regional progress on the implementation of the 2022 Declaration and assess global efforts to incorporate culture into the post-2030 sustainable development agenda. Similarly, the Tenth Session of the Conference of Parties in Paris, scheduled for 18 to 20 June 2025, will evaluate the International Fund for Cultural Diversity and engage civil society in strategic planning for the sector.

Conclusion

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development offers a timely reminder of the central role of culture in building inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies. This year’s theme, Bridging Divides Through Shared Heritage, reinforces the idea that cultural practices and memory can help to repair divisions and foster trust across communities. In line with the goals of the 2005 Convention, the observance supports ongoing work to strengthen governance systems, improve equity in cultural exchange, and protect the rights of artists and communities.

Resources (UNESCO)

• Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
• MONDIACULT 2022
• MONDIACULT 2022 DECLARATION
• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

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CourtHeath acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to Elders past and present, and to the ongoing living culture of Aboriginal people.

A participant in the UN Global Compact, CourtHeath seeks to raise awareness about the sustainable development goals and the principles of the Global Compact with business and government organisations in Victoria.

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IMAGE (detail): Performers at the MONDIACULT 2022 conference in Mexico. UNESCO/Carlos Villavicencio (United Nations)

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