The United Nations General Assembly has formally adopted a resolution declaring 2027–2036 the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development. The resolution establishes a 10-year framework for global cooperation aimed at harnessing the power of culture to build more inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will serve as the lead agency for implementing the International Decade.

[Photo via official website of UNESCO]

A Landmark Resolution Adopted by an Overwhelming Majority

The resolution was initiated by Viet Nam and received support from a cross-regional group of co-sponsors and the Group of Friends of Culture. It was adopted by a recorded vote of 174 in favor, one against and none abstaining. The core group driving the initiative comprises six countries: Viet Nam, Cyprus, Italy, Laos, Qatar, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

At a time when multiple global crises are converging and international cooperation is under strain, the resolution carries particular significance. Member States have united around a shared conviction: culture can help build bridges of understanding and advance sustainable development. The resolution is therefore not only a milestone for culture, but also a reaffirmation of multilateralism, demonstrating that collective action can address shared global priorities.

From a Global Vision to Concrete Action

As the lead agency for the Decade, UNESCO will consult with Member States, entities across the UN system and other stakeholders to develop an Action Plan for the International Decade, translating the resolution's ambitious goals into coordinated priorities and concrete measures. Drawing on UNESCO's conventions and recommendations in the field of culture, existing programmes, policy expertise, data systems and global networks, the Decade will mobilize governments, international and regional organizations, civil society, cultural professionals, local communities, and development and financing partners around a shared vision: placing culture at the heart of a more sustainable, inclusive, peaceful and resilient future.

Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, said that this International Decade reaffirms our shared commitment to culture as a driver of sustainable development. He emphasized that UNESCO stands ready to translate this new global vision into stronger policies, greater investment and more tangible action for the benefit of people around the world.

Culture as a Key Driver of Sustainable Development

The establishment of the International Decade builds on a growing international consensus that culture is a powerful driver and enabler of sustainable development.

In the Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024, Member States recognized culture as an integral component of sustainable development. They committed to integrating culture into economic, social and environmental policies and strategies, and to ensuring adequate public investment in the protection and promotion of culture.

The Sevilla Commitment, adopted in 2025 at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, further reinforced this consensus. It recognized the contribution of culture and the creative economy to sustainable development and called for adequate public funding for culture and increased investment in cultural infrastructure.

At the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025), held in Barcelona, Spain, in 2025, more than 100 ministers of culture reaffirmed their collective commitment to establishing culture as a standalone development goal in the next UN development framework. This vision rests on stronger multilateralism and recognizes culture as a cornerstone of global cooperation, solidarity and respect for human rights.

Statistics also underscore culture's multifaceted value. Cultural and creative industries account for 3.39% of global GDP and provide an average of 3.55% of jobs worldwide, creating opportunities for innovation, economic diversification and growth. More broadly, culture is a source of knowledge, creativity and resilience, contributing to inclusive education, climate action, sustainable tourism, gender equality, youth empowerment, social cohesion and peacebuilding. From safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage to developing cultural and creative industries and expanding public participation in cultural life, culture profoundly shapes how societies respond to shared challenges, including climate change, education and peacebuilding.

A Strategic Bridge Between the Present and the Future

The International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development will encompass the final four years of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and extend into the initial phase of its successor development framework. It will therefore serve as a strategic bridge between today's commitments and tomorrow's global priorities. Building on the political momentum generated by the 2022 and 2025 editions of MONDIACULT, the Decade will promote the more systematic integration of culture into development policies, cooperation frameworks, financing arrangements and monitoring systems. Its aim is to turn international political recognition of culture's value into sustained cooperation, investment and action.

(Compiled from official website of UNESCO and other sources)