It is often at the local level that there’s the strongest understanding of the potential of culture – and libraries – in delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. Join the Culture2030Goal side event at the 2022 United Nations High-Level Political Forum to discuss the lessons that local experience could provide for global discussions. 7 July 2022, at 11:30-13:00 UTC (see what time this is for you).

Integrating culture into SDG implementation represents a powerful development accelerator, favouring innovation and inclusion, supporting behaviour change and wider policy effectiveness, and opening new horizons for actions to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Indeed, at a time when we need to place creative solutions, resilience, wellbeing and understanding between peoples front and centre of our action, it is hard to imagine how we can advance as fast as we need to without culture. However, its integration into policy planning and delivery cannot be taken for granted; we need to learn from positive examples.

Looking to the first seven years of SDG implementation, analysis of Voluntary National and Local Reviews has demonstrated that it is often at the local level that this potential is best being realised. Thanks to proximity to, and understanding of local characteristics and needs, local efforts to implement the SDGs have been faster to see the need to consider cultural factors in planning, and engage cultural actors in delivering policy.

This session, drawing on this analysis and examples shared by local government and cultural actors from around the world, will look to establish practices and approaches which have the potential to be scaled-up or replicated. In parallel, it will also explore the actions that could be taken globally in order to take this work to the next level,

Speakers will include the authors of the report, representatives of relevant local governments and stakeholders, and development policy thinkers

Join the session, and share your ideas about how we can make the most of local experiences to accelerate development globally.