The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) emphasized the economic power and untapped potential of culture at the launch of its first World Report on Cultural Policies. This event marked the beginning of the MONDIACULT 2025 conference, which gathers approximately 120 culture ministers worldwide in Barcelona, Spain, ending on Wednesday.
The report, titled “UNESCO World Report on Cultural Policies – The Missing SDG,” sets out to position culture at the forefront of sustainable development programs, advocating for a specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to culture in the post-2030 United Nations agenda.
Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, highlighted the lack of cultural focus in the current UN Agenda 2030, noting its impact on investment capabilities and the absence of tools to measure progress and its effects in the field. He stressed the importance of positioning culture central to development policies, recognizing its crucial role in economic growth, peace, crisis response, and as a driver of multilateralism and global cooperation.
The presented report is based on 1,200 local and national reports and 200 case studies conducted globally between 2019 and 2024. It is described as the first to cover all cultural regions and domains, providing the most comprehensive global analysis of cultural policies to date, and offering a factual foundation to guide new agendas and bolster multilateral cooperation.
The document notes that 93% of UNESCO member states that contributed to the report now incorporate culture as a “central element” in their national development plans, up from 88% in 2021.
The cultural and creative industries account for 3.39% of global GDP and 3.55% of global employment, with UNESCO citing cultural tourism as an example, which in 2023 generated $741.3 billion (€633 billion) in revenue across 250 cities worldwide.
Despite these advances, significant disparities remain, the UN agency warns, highlighting that public spending on culture is 2,000 times higher in more developed countries compared to others.
In Europe and North America, for instance, public spending on culture averages $418.56 (€358) per capita annually, “approximately 13 times more than the rest of the world collectively,” according to the report.
The report also points out that “cultural rights are fundamental but often poorly protected,” with only 9% of artists globally believing their economic and social rights are well protected.
Regarding labor regulations, 60% of countries have minimum wage laws applicable to artists, yet “implementation remains limited,” with only 22% of surveyed NGOs confirming effective enforcement of minimum wage for artists.
The report concludes that artificial intelligence has had “a very negative financial impact,” with 38% of UNESCO respondents reporting income and revenue drops.
UNESCO highlights an urgent need for inclusive, evidence-based policies to address inequalities while leveraging technological innovation. By bridging investment gaps and promoting gender equality and digital access, culture can become a powerful force for diversity, creativity, and resilience in the coming years.
MONDIACULT 2025 is UNESCO’s World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, convening for the third time after events in Mexico in 1982 and 2022, under the theme “unlocking the power of culture for sustainable development.”
The conference gathers culture ministers from around the globe (approximately 120, according to UNESCO’s latest figures, initially estimating around 150), along with “thousands of participants from civil society, the cultural sector, NGOs, and international organizations” to “set the global agenda” for the sector in the upcoming years.
Portugal is represented by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, with the notable absence of the USA and Israel from MONDIACULT 2025 this year.
