World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

Today is the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. It is a day dedicated to broadening our understanding and values of what different cultures bring to our society.  A day which was declared in 2002 by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 57/249.

This year is a test of humanity. Since the beginning of the year, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the whole world, effecting all people from different cultural backgrounds, ethnicities and religions, where no one is immune to contracting the virus. At this exceedingly difficult time, it has become vital to stand together in solidarity and overcome discriminatory barriers.   

In the year of 1973, an Amiri Decree was issued, establishing the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), as part of the State of Kuwait’s efforts to promote local and international applications of culture, arts and intellectual development. The State of Kuwait works diligently in promoting cultural diversity through organizing cultural events throughout the year in collaboration with the diplomatic community, and publishing cultural productions, supporting cultural exchange programs and empowering diverse cultural expression.

For the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions is more important than ever. Cultural diversity is the common heritage of humanity. It is a source of renewal of ideas and societies, through which we open up to others and craft new ways of thinking.

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is an occasion to promote culture and highlight the significance of its diversity as an agent of inclusion and positive change. It represents an opportunity to celebrate culture’s manifold forms, from the tangible and intangible, to creative industries, to the diversity of cultural expressions, and to reflect on how these contribute to dialogue, mutual understanding, and the social, environmental and economic vectors of sustainable development.

Based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions[1], already ratified by 149 State Parties[2], provides a new framework for informed, transparent and participatory systems of governance for culture. As a strategic instrumentt, the Convention contributes to at least 11 Sustainable Development Goals[3]. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals can best be achieved by drawing upon the creative potential of the world’s diverse cultures, and engaging in continuous dialogue to ensure that all members of society benefit from sustainable development.

UNESCO commends the State of Kuwait on having acceded to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions on 3 August 2007 and their efforts in its effective implementation and to protect and promote cultural diversity for dialogue and development.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and magnified the creative industries’ pre-existing volatility. Due to the complex nature of their work, cultural professionals are particularly affected and lockdown measures around the world directly impact the entire creative value chain.

On this occasion, on behalf of the United Nations and its agencies, I avail this opportunity to encourage everyone to respect the cultural diversities of communities, ensuring inclusion and leaving no one behind - especially during these trying times for all.

[1] https://en.unesco.org/creativity/convention

[2] https://en.unesco.org/creativity/convention/parties

[3] https://en.unesco.org/creativity/ifcd/what-is/sdgs