MONDIACULT 2025: UNESCO will convene Ministers of Culture from all member states in Barcelona to collaboratively shape future cultural policies.
UNESCO Headquarters, September 22, 2025 — MONDIACULT, UNESCO’s global Conference on cultural policies, will convene cultural actors, partners, and leaders from around the world in Barcelona, Spain, from September 29 to October 1, 2025. The purpose of the Conference is to shape and commit to a global agenda for Culture.
This 2025 edition will address current trends, challenges, and opportunities within the cultural sector, as well as the progress made since the last Conference in 2022, which recognized Culture as a “global public good.” In support of these initiatives, UNESCO will launch its first-ever Global Report on Cultural Policies, which will assess the impact of Culture across all dimensions of development.
MONDIACULT
MONDIACULT is the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, held every four years. It serves as the leading global platform for dialogue and cooperation on cultural policies. In 2025, MONDIACULT will be hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona, bringing together Ministers of Culture from all UNESCO Member States, alongside representatives from intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society, youth, cultural professionals, and private sector partners.
Building on the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration adopted in Mexico City, the 2025 edition reviews progress and shapes collective responses to emerging challenges and opportunities for the cultural and creative sector. The Conference focuses on the six interrelated priority areas of MONDIACULT. In addition, MONDIACULT 2025 addresses two cross-cutting focus areas of growing global relevance: Culture and Artificial Intelligence, as well as Culture and Peace.
At the end of September, UNESCO brings together representatives from its 194 Member States to shape a global roadmap for cultural policies. The event will be opened on Monday, September 29, by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, and Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain. Over 100 ministers of Culture and 1,200 participants, including cultural professionals, NGOs, and international organizations, will take part in the debates.
Over the past twenty years, UNESCO has assisted more than 150 countries in developing or enhancing their cultural policies. MONDIACULT 2025 will further strengthen this commitment by supporting nations in creating informed policies and promoting vibrant creative sectors.
The Conference will also provide an opportunity to discuss UNESCO’s recent achievements in utilizing culture as a key driver for development, as well as for crisis response and recovery. Several other pressing issues will be addressed, including the enhancement of the role and contributions of Indigenous Peoples in shaping cultural policies, supporting the sector’s digital transformation—particularly in light of the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence—and the global effort to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property, which includes the launch of UNESCO’s virtual museum of stolen cultural objects.
At the conclusion of the Conference, Ministers of Culture will adopt an outcome document derived from a comprehensive consultation process, outlining key global policy priorities for the coming years.
Source: UNESCO
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