Colombia and city of Bogota kick-off workshop for the Culture|2030 Indicators

The pilot implementation of the Culture|2030 Indicators’ framework has been launched in Colombia and in Bogota city. The launch workshop was organized by the Ministry of Culture and the District Secretariat for Culture, Recreation and Sports of Bogota city, in close collaboration with UNESCO, from 9 to 12 November 2021, and gathered 48 participants, including representatives from the National and Local Authorities, as well as civil society organizations, academy, private sector, and other competent entities whose work is informed by culture.

In line with UNESCO’s commitment to advocate for the essential role of culture in sustainable development, the UNESCO Thematic Indicators for Culture in the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development (Culture|2030 Indicators) is a conceptual and methodological framework of thematic indicators whose purpose is to measure and monitor the progress of culture’s enabling contribution to the national and local implementation of the Goals and Targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The framework has been developed by UNESCO in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), with the aim to assess both culture’s role as a sector of activity, as well as the transversal contribution of culture across different SDGs and policy areas. The UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators framework maps the SDGs in 22 Indicators, across four thematic Dimensions: Environment & Resilience, Prosperity & Livelihood, Knowledge & Skills, and Inclusion & Participation.

The project’s framework and methodology make culture visible, provide a thematic overview, build messages and advocacy, inform national and local policies and actions, help understanding trends and build knowledge, and monitor the global progress of culture in the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

The project benefits from capacity building materials led and delivered by UNESCO, as well as from the guidance and technical support of the UNESCO International and Regional Experts in close collaboration with the National and Local Authorities’ implementation Teams, at country and city levels. The implementation of the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators in Colombia and Bogota city was made possible thanks to the generous financial contribution of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), with the partnership and support of the Ministry of Culture and the District Secretariat for Culture, Recreation and Sports of Bogota city, for the national and local implementation. The said project is implemented in close cooperation with the UNESCO Quito Field Office.

The Workshop introduced the methodology of the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators framework, and shared capacity building materials with the authorities and actors. The UNESCO Regional and International Experts present also shared trends and experiences of the process of collecting resources and analyzing Data.

Mr. Ernesto Ottone R. , the Assistant Director General of UNESCO for Culture, shared  introductory remarks on the UNESCO Culture 2030 Indicators project. He explained the development of the methodology, the framework itself, and the major implementation steps at national and local levels. He also addressed how these voluntary indicators contributed to the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs, at the national and local levels, as well as to the National Voluntary Reviews and Local Voluntary Reports for countries and cities.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, shared an introduction to the UNESCO Culture 2030 Indicators project. It explained the development of the methodology, the framework itself, and the major implementation steps at national and local levels. It also addressed how these voluntary indicators contributed to the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs, at the national and local levels, as well as to the National Voluntary Reviews and Local Voluntary Reports for countries and cities.

H.E. Ms. Angélica Mayolo Obregón, the Minister of Culture of Colombia, and Mr. Nicolás Montero Domínguez, Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sports of Bogota City, delivered the welcoming messages for the workshop.

The Minister pointed out that "the development of this type of initiatives that allow the comparison and analysis of qualitative and quantitative information to monitor the cultural sector nationally, locally and internationally, is of high value. With this Culture|2030  Indicators pilot project, we hope that the instruments and data existing in the country will be complemented, improved and thus strengthen the making of better decisions that include the culture as a transversal axis, and the creative and cultural sectors as factors of unity and closing of gaps to finally achieve more inclusive, equitable, and resilient societies."

Mr. Nicolás Montero Domínguez highlighted that "the joint work for implementing the pilot test of the thematic indicators of culture is essential. Today begins a path of transformation that allows us to understand that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a beacon that guides society's actions. Reflection on culture allows us to think about an integral development of society. It is a call for cultural cohesion and solidarity."

A further introduction to the methodology of the framework, prepared by UNESCO, was presented by the UNESCO Regional Expert, Mr. Eduardo SARAVIA DIAZ.

During the Workshop, the UNESCO Regional Expert, the involved National and Local Authorities, and various actors exchanged and discussed the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators from different perspectives and through its 22 Indicators and its 4 Dimensions.

The meeting was closed by the Ministry of Culture and the District Secretariat for Culture, Recreation and Sports of Bogota city. They thanked all the Participants.

Ms. Adriana Padilla, the Vice Minister of Creativity and Orange Economy of the Ministry of Culture of Colombia, pointed out that "this first exercise will allow us to correctly approach the measurement and monitoring of the contribution of culture to the 2030 Agenda. The Government of Colombia is committed to create conditions to strengthen our sector and advance its sustainability. To achieve this purpose, the management of information and the generation of knowledge become a fundamental tool to measure the impact of our activities and formulate better public policies that benefit our artists and creators. Likewise, they will allow us to understand better the role that culture plays in the social and productive development of our regions and cities."

Ms. María del Pilar Ordóñez, the Undersecretary of Governance, Secretariat of Culture, Recreation and Sports of Bogotá city highlighted that "the joint work between different organizations and public entities is the way to achieve the purposes that we have set for ourselves with the study of the Culture|2030 Indicators and their incidence for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is how these workshops and inter-institutional efforts manage to provide data that fuels programs, initiatives, and public policies, and that will give us the inputs so that culture is increasingly present in the planning instruments of the international, national and local order. In Bogotá, we are committed to all the phases in the framework of this pilot! Thank you very much."

For further information on the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators project, we invite you to explore the following webpage: UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators