Culture, Climate, and Technology in the G20: IFLA helps inform the agenda of the Culture Working Group

Culture has increasingly been a focus on the agenda of the Group of Twenty(G20).

The current Presidency is held by South Africa,who named the theme:Solidarity,Equality,Sustainability.The South African Presidency has stressed that culture is a key driver for inclusive sustainable development,affirming that it contributes both directly and indirectly to achieving the SDGs.

The Culture Track of the G20,aligning with the momentum achieved in the UNESCO Mondiacult 2022 Declaration and the theme of the G20 Presidency,has named the following priorities for their work:

·Priority 1:Safeguarding and Restitution of Cultural Heritage to protect Human Rights

·Priority 2:Integrating Cultural Policies in socio-economic strategies to ensure an Inclusive,Rights-based Development

·Priority 3:Harnessing Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture and Sustainable Economies

·Priority 4:The Intersection of Culture and Climate Change:Shaping Global Responses

IFLA Facilitates Discussion on Culture and Climate Change

The G20 Culture Working Group(CWG)team and UNESCO arranged a series of webinars to give G20 members,guest countries,and international organizations an opportunity to suggest priorities and recommendations on each of the priority areas.

IFLA was invited to contribute in a major role,helping to facilitate the final webinar on the Intersection of Culture and Climate Change.

Given IFLA’s increasing focus to the role of libraries in contributing to climate action–we were thrilled to help the Presidency bring this issue into the discussions at the G20.

IFLA also provided input from the library field on both this issue and on Priority 3:Harnessing Digital Technologies.We were proud to join the British Library in this discussion,who was invited to participate on behalf of the United Kingdom.

IFLA’s Calls to Action

Priority 3:Harnessing Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture and Sustainable Economies

IFLA encouraged the CWG and G20 Member States to:

·Reflect the Global Digital Compact by recognizing the importance of digital skills and lifelong access to digital learning opportunities

·Establish more sustained cooperation with non-formal and informal learning spaces

·Recognise that libraries provide infrastructure not only for digital connectivity,but for lifelong learning,research and public awareness

·Recognise the link between attacks on cultural institutions like libraries,including the banning of books,and mis-/disinformation.Prioritise the importance of learning multiple literacies,including algorithmic,AI,media and information literacy

·Support libraries and memory institutions in digitising their collections and in navigating challenges and opportunities of AI,including through policies that enables them to preserve and make their collections available

·Look to the library sector as partners in implementing UNESCO’s AI Ethics Recommendation

·Prioritise the need for professional development and training among library professionals

Key recommendation:the ethical creation of,access to,and use of relevant content and knowledge by all should be considered a key element of the culture sector’s contribution to sustainable development,including as part of the ongoing digital cooperation agenda.

Priority 4:The Intersection of Culture and Climate Change:Shaping Global Responses

IFLA encouraged the CWG and G20 Member States to:

·Recognise the diverse and substantial contributions libraries around the world are making to climate education and communication,accelerating the climate research agenda,promoting open science,and building resilience in the face of emergencies

·Prioritise education that is lifelong,community-wide,and culturally-informed as a transversal enabler of building climate resilience

·Invest in public infrastructure that acts as centres of community participation and learning as a factor in delivering just climate adaptation

·Ensure the contribution of libraries is visible,implementable,and measurable by incorporating them into national adaptation plans,policy instruments,and planning processes,with appropriate indicators

·Integrate the role of culture into all relevant COP processes,including Action for Climate Empowerment

Key recommendation:cultural and memory institutions contribute to climate empowerment,just transition,adaptation,resilience-building and beyond.The impact can be accelerated by facilitating greater cooperation between relevant national ministries and key stakeholders,including national library associations.

You are invited to use these calls to action and key recommendations in any of your G20 advocacy with stakeholders at the national or regional level.

Find out more about the G20 Culture Working Group here.