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World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2025

Official Side Event

Achieving Cultural Policy Goals through Coordinated Action and Dialogue: A conversation with Civil Society and UNESCO National Commissions

  • When: Monday, 29 September 2025, 18:15 – 19:15
  • Where: Room 1, Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB)

MONDIACULT is the world’s biggest cultural policy conference. Hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from 29 September – 1 October 2025, this event will set the global agenda for culture in the years ahead. The Culture2030Goal Campaign and National Commissions for UNESCO, including Poland and UK, will co-host this official side event to share best practice and proposals for achieving cultural policy goals set out by Mondiacult.

About

Achieving cultural policy goals set out by Mondiacult in 2022 and 2025 requires coordination of actions across the local, national, and international levels. Although different stakeholders may bring varying perspectives, the opportunity to come together in the spirit of discussion and cooperation is at the heart of what makes Mondiacult impactful.

UNESCO National Commissions, with their unique constitutional role and value amongst the UN family for enabling such coordination, are UNESCO’s its member states’ cooperating bodies with civil society to advance action and debate post Mondiacult. Meanwhile, Civil Society coalitions, like the Culture2030Goal Campaign, are making bold efforts to drive progress on realising culture’s role in achieving sustainable development through dialogue and cooperation across the sector, as well as building broader consensus in the sustainable development space about the need to invest in and integrate culture.

This event will bring multiple experiences and perspectives together with the common thread of working collaboratively to advance the recognition of culture’s value for the wellbeing and Sustainable Development. UNESCO National Commissions will share how they implement the goals of Mondiacult on the ground with UNESCO designations, such as World Heritage Sites and Biospheres. The Culture2030Goal Campaign will introduce a proposal for a potential culture-specific goal, with targets and indicators, which have been created with input from civil society organisations across the worldwide culture sector.

Speakers

Co-moderators
  • Claire McGuire, Manager of Policy and Advocacy, IFLA
  • James Bridge, Secretary-General and Chief Executive of the UK National Commission for UNESCO
Speakers
  • Alicja Jagielska-Burduk, Secretary-General Polish National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO Chair on Cultural Property Law, UNITWIn Culture in Emergencies
  • Marva Browne, Secretary-General Curacao National Commission for UNESCO
  • Sharon Memis, Secretary General, IFLA
  • Silja Fischer, Secretary General, International Music Council

Contacts