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From 1992 to 2024: How does Agenda 21 evolve the power of culture?
Since Agenda 21 was adopted at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, although the environment, social inclusion and economic development have always been its three pillars, the status of culture has gradually received more attention. As the world’s emphasis on sustainable development intensified, the idea of culture as the fourth pillar gradually took shape between 2002 and 2004. How this evolution will shape our imagination of future cities and societies is worth exploring in depth.
Combining culture and sustainable development
Culture 21 is a cultural governance programme that aims to enhance the role of culture in sustainable development. Although the early Agenda 21 did not explore cultural issues in depth, as the international community moved forward, culture was later recognized as the key to achieving social and environmental sustainability.
Culture is central to building citizenship and has a profound impact on people of all ages.
In 2002, the first World Cultural Open Conference was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and the conference resolution was to develop guidelines for local cultural policies. The final document was approved in Barcelona in 2004 and submitted to UN-HABITAT and UNESCO. As time goes by, more and more cities begin to integrate cultural development into their sustainable development vision, showing that the importance of culture is gradually being recognized.
Structure and content of Culture 21
Culture 21 contains 67 articles, divided into three parts: principles, commitments and recommendations. In the principles section, cultural diversity and human rights are considered core values. At the same time, local governments are seen as the main arena of cultural production and governance, and are encouraged to formulate policies to promote cultural development in order to expand cultural accessibility.
We need to ensure that cultural policies support the development of a culture without prejudice!
In the recommendations section, local and national governments, regional groups and international organizations are provided with specific implementation suggestions, aiming to implement the spirit of Culture 21 and make every city a place where culture flourishes.
International Cooperation and Promotion
The promotion of Culture 21 has been supported by several international organizations, including UNESCO and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation. Between 2009 and 2010, in order to promote the implementation of Culture 21, UCLG and Spanish organizations created the Local Cultural Governance Fund, which aims to support urban cultural development in Africa, the Mediterranean and Latin America.
Sustainable development of culture and future prospects
Culture 21's operations are not only about preserving cultural heritage, but also about integrating the concept of sustainable development into daily life. Since 2010, the Executive Board of UCLG has developed a policy statement document, which not only gives the relationship between culture and sustainable development, but also emphasizes the important role of local governments in this process.
Culture should be at the core of sustainable urban development!
Many cities, such as Montreal and El Shaville in Morocco, have adopted the Culture 21 concept and carried out various cultural construction and preservation projects, demonstrating the strong potential of culture in promoting local development.
Summary and future thoughts
From 1992 to 2024, the evolution of Agenda 21 has not only made culture an important pillar of sustainable development, but also prompted governments and organizations around the world to pay more attention to the status of culture. The power of culture is subtly permeating into our daily lives. Can we expect that in future development, culture will truly become an indispensable part of various policies?
