“Indonesia believes that culture is the foundation for global solidarity, equality, and sustainability,” Fadli Zon said, as quoted in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
At the 4th G20 Cultural Working Group and Culture Ministers’ Meeting in South Africa, he underscored the need to curb illicit cultural object trade through global collaboration and digital technology to track artifact origins and strengthen cultural heritage protection.
He also emphasized the need to integrate cultural policies with national socio-economic strategies so that the cultural and creative economy sectors can become drivers of inclusive growth.
Indonesia contributed to the formulation and ratification of the KwaDukuza Ministerial Declaration, the final product of which serves as a joint reference for G20 Culture Ministers in strengthening the role of culture as a pillar of sustainable development and global solidarity.
The KwaDukuza Declaration reaffirms the commitment of G20 countries to advancing the role of culture in strengthening solidarity, inclusive dialogue, and cooperation among nations.
The document sets out four key priorities: the protection and restitution of cultural heritage, the integration of cultural policies into national socio-economic strategies, the use of digital technology and artificial intelligence for cultural sustainability, and strengthening the role of culture in addressing climate change.
In the declaration, the Ministers agreed on the importance of international cooperation to stop the illicit trade in cultural property, strengthen law enforcement, and encourage open dialogue regarding the return and restitution of cultural property to their countries of origin.
The declaration stresses respecting indigenous and local community rights while aligning cultural policies with national development strategies to ensure the cultural and creative sectors drive inclusive growth, create decent jobs, and enhance social cohesion.
The G20 countries also affirmed the need for transparent, fair, and ethical governance of artificial intelligence, ensuring the protection of copyright and the moral and economic rights of creators.
Culture is also recognized as playing a crucial role in addressing climate change by positioning local knowledge and traditional practices as sources of sustainable solutions that need to be integrated into global policies.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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