IFLA, alongside other members of the Culture 2030 Goal Coalition, has strongly welcomed the endorsement offered by the President of the 74th United Nations General Assembly for the statement on culture and COVID-19. 

Alongside IFLA, over 200 other organisations have signed the statement, including, from the Culture 2030 Goal Coalition, United Cities and Local Governments Committee on Culture (UCLG-Culture), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Arterial Network, Culture Action Europe, the International Federation for Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD), the International Music Council (IMC), and the Latin American Network of Arts for Social Transformation.

On behalf of IFLA, Secretary-General Gerald Leitner said:

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen so many people turn to books and reading for comfort, hope and inspiration, and libraries have worked hard to make this a possibility for all. It is therefore great news for libraries everywhere that his Excellency Mr Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the 74th UN General Assembly, has endorsed the statement, recognising this contribution and underlining the need to make culture central to policy making into the future.

The full text of the press release is available below:

[PRESS RELEASE BEGINS]

Culture2030Goal Coalition Members Welcome UN General Assembly President’s Endorsement of Statement on Culture and COVID-19

#CultureCOVID19

1 July 2020

Culture has a vital role both in the immediate response to COVID-19, and in planning for long-term sustainable development. This fact is at the heart of the statement by members of the #Culture2030Goal Coalition on Culture and COVID-19 launched on 21 May. 

With the endorsement of this statement by His Excellency Mr Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the 74th UN General Assembly, there is a clear recognition at the highest levels of the need to give culture a more central role in decision-making, now and into the Decade of Action.

The #Culture2030Goal statement, originally signed by eight members of the coalition, and now with well over 200 supporters, makes the connection between culture, the COVID-19 pandemic, and long-term development planning. 

Drawing on the experience of global networks representing cultural practitioners and institutions and local and regional governments, it notes the proven potential of culture as a source of inspiration, comfort and hope at the individual and community level. It also underlines how culture can serve to support inclusion and positive relations, within and across borders. 

With the statement coming in the context of the ongoing work of the United Nations to promote sustainable development globally, the endorsement by His Excellency Mr Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the UN General Assembly, is therefore particularly welcome. 

As members of the #Culture2030Goal coalition, we are grateful to the President, and hope that others in the UN System, as well as Member States, legislators and other decision-makers, and civil society, business, local governments academia and other stakeholders  will offer their endorsement for the statement’s messages.

Read the statement on the #Culture2030Goal website: http://culture2030goal.net/.

[PRESS RELEASE ENDS]

The letter of endorsement can be downloaded from the President of the General Assembly’s website.