2025 G20 – Culture Minister – KwaDukuza Declaration – G20 South Africa

Preamble

1. We, the G20 Culture Ministers, convened in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, on 29 October 2025, below the G20 Presidency of South Africa;
2. Reaffirming our dedication to advancing the position of tradition throughout the G20, recognising its energy to foster solidarity, open and inclusive dialogue and cooperation, and to contribute to a extra inclusive and sustainable world, consistent with the theme of South Africa’s Presidency, which is deeply interconnected with the multilateral cultural agenda;
3. Welcoming the inclusion of tradition on the G20 agenda with the primary Culture Ministers assembly inaugurated below the Saudi Arabian Presidency in 2020 and its positioning because the Culture Working Group throughout the Italian Presidency in 2021, and acknowledging the precious contributions of subsequent Presidencies of Indonesia, India, and Brazil in consolidating the G20 Culture Working Group and advancing tradition as a part of the multilateral agenda all through their respective declarations and end result paperwork;
4. Reaffirming tradition’s important position in sustaining peace and dialogue by selling multilateralism that acknowledges cultural variety and the plurality of sustainable improvement approaches; encompassing views from developed and creating nations; throughout the context of human rights and by enhancing localisation efforts by encouraging context-relevant, human-centred improvement frameworks for people and communities;
5. Recalling the significance of cultural rights as enshrined within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as relevant, which reaffirms everybody’s proper freely to take part in cultural life as a part of common human rights, and recalling the goals outlined within the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 78/161 on Culture and Sustainable Development, adopted on 19 December 2023, which acknowledges the significance of cultural entry, participation, freedom and variety of cultural expressions, considering nationwide values and legal guidelines, in addition to promote inter-cultural dialogue as drivers for extra modern sustainable, cohesive, resilient, protected and inclusive societies;
6. Recalling the outcomes of the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (2023), the Salvador da Bahia Declaration of the G20 Ministers of Culture, in addition to of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022 and 2025, which collectively name for the development of the inclusion of discussions on tradition as a standalone aim in a attainable post-2030 improvement agenda;
7. Emphasising the position of tradition as an enabler and driver for sustainable improvement, and its contribution immediately and not directly to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with intrinsic worth past its social, environmental and financial advantages, and as a typical good of humanity, whereas reaffirming the transformative impression of the cultural and artistic financial system throughout all ranges of society, as a key contributor to sustainable improvement and the resilience and regeneration of economies and communities, in developed and creating nations;
8. Welcoming the lively engagement of the African Union after its entry into the G20 household as a everlasting member, which considerably contributes to addressing the present world challenges, whereas sharing the understanding that Africa is the cradle of humanity and, thus, just isn’t solely dwelling to invaluable cultural sources and heritage, but additionally presents necessary examples of the ability of human creativity and sustainability.

Guiding Principles
Priority 1: Safeguarding and Restitution of Cultural Heritage

9. Recognising that cultural heritage in all its kinds performs a key position in preserving societies’ and communities’ identities, reminiscence and historical past by appearing as a tangible and intangible report of their previous, values, traditions expressions and beliefs, permitting communities to attach with their roots, perceive their evolution, and move this information on to future generations, thus fostering a powerful sense of belonging and cultural connection;
10. Recognising the importance that nations of origin attribute to the return or restitution of cultural property that’s of basic religious, historic and cultural worth in order that they might represent collections consultant of their cultural heritage; making certain significant participation of related events and strongly encouraging open and inclusive dialogue on the return and restitution of cultural property, whereas acknowledging the elevated recognition of its worth for strengthening social cohesion, intergenerational transmission, dialogue, understanding of cultural heritage and reminiscence, solidarity, peace, and producing cultural and financial advantages;
11. Recognising the urgency of safeguarding cultural heritage from the impacts of illicit trafficking, local weather change, desertification and biodiversity loss, financial and social challenges, and battle conditions;
12. Recognising that participation in cultural life is a common human proper, whereas additionally recognising that inequality in entry persists for some, depriving Indigenous Peoples, in addition to native and conventional communities, and other people in susceptible conditions of their cultural heritage. This requires a broad historic perspective constructed on mutual understanding and cooperation in addressing cultural heritage and heritage-related issues, to foster renewed and equitable relationships between nations on this space;
13. Reiterating our deepest concern for the continued theft, looting and illicit trafficking of cultural property together with by means of on-line markets and digital platforms and infrequently with hyperlinks to illicit monetary flows, and welcoming efforts to recognise and deal with these issues, significantly by means of bilateral dialogue and multilateral mechanisms;
14. Recalling the significance of multilateral frameworks, significantly the 1970 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Convention and different mechanisms offered by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), as relevant and specialised operational capabilities by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), amongst others, in addition to strengthening bilateral cooperation between related nationwide authorities to research, prosecute, sentence and deter instances of crime associated to illicit trafficking of cultural property on the worldwide degree, in accordance with related worldwide agreements;
15. Reaffirming the importance of Indigenous Peoples, in addition to native and conventional communities and the significance of cultural organisations comparable to museums, archives, libraries, in safeguarding heritage and making certain truthful entry to data for all, and inspiring lively participation of related events whereas recognising the significance of free, prior and knowledgeable consent, whereas additionally valuing cooperation on digitisation of cultural belongings;
16. Recognising that every one threats to cultural heritage and cultural sources might end result within the lack of irreplaceable cultural belongings and disruption of socio-cultural practices and strongly deploring all acts of spiritual hatred towards individuals, in addition to these of a symbolic nature with out prejudice to home authorized frameworks, together with towards spiritual symbols and holy books, and bearing freedom of expression in thoughts, as relevant inside nationwide laws;
17. Recognising the impression of the over-commercialisation of the residing cultural heritage on the sustainability and livelihoods of practitioners and bearer communities, welcoming a broader worldwide dialogue on the safeguarding of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, in addition to the rights of native and conventional communities based on nationwide legal guidelines and laws; and affirming that discussions on the safety of conventional data and residing heritage ought to stay consistent with mental property legal guidelines, as agreed in worldwide fora, as relevant and will take account of ongoing developments in related worldwide fora.

Priority 2: Integrating Cultural Policies with Socio-Economic Strategies to Ensure Holistic and Inclusive Development

18. Recognising the position of tradition as an enabler and driver for sustainable, inclusive and human-centred improvement, serving as a social asset and an financial pressure that upholds human dignity, decreasing poverty whereas leveraging fairness and social cohesion inside and amongst nations, driving sustainable progress and likewise acknowledging the significance of strong built-in cultural insurance policies, each as an unbiased coverage area and likewise a contributor to different coverage areas;
19. Recognising the rising financial weight of the cultural and artistic sectors and industries as a supply of respectable work, earnings, diversification, and its necessary contribution to innovation and creativity for all, whereas sustaining Indigenous Peoples, in addition to native and conventional communities, and fostering inclusive locally-owned and sustainable improvement in creating and developed nations; and contributing to cross-border financial exchanges, financial progress and leveraging sustainable improvement in areas comparable to employment, tourism, finance, commerce and funding , and digital applied sciences;
20. Recalling the financial vulnerability of cultural sector organisations and professionals, which requires systemic coverage engagement, stronger multistakeholder partnerships, evidence-based policymaking, and exploring modern financing fashions; whereas highlighting the significance of selling and making certain respectable working situations of artists, authors, creators and different cultural and artistic professionals, in accordance with nationwide regulation, close to related worldwide labour requirements, respect for mental property rights, the train of inventive freedom, the mobility of artistic and cultural professionals, truthful remuneration and enough entry to complete and sustainable social safety methods, consistent with the UNESCO 1980 Recommendation in regards to the Status of the Artist, as applicable to nationwide context and authorized framework;
21. Underlining the essential position of cultural insurance policies to boost the enjoyment of human rights, shield cultural variety, bolster social cohesion and mutual respect in addition to cut back poverty, in response to persistent multifaceted inequalities inside and amongst nations, constructing on the transformative energy of tradition to sort out discrimination, racism and prejudice, and to make sure equal entry to and participation in cultural life for all;
22. Expressing our concern, consistent with the 2022-2032 International Decade of Indigenous Languages, over the speedy disappearance of languages worldwide, significantly Indigenous, native and regional ones, which disrupts or threatens the existence of or results in the lack of invaluable oral traditions, and residing heritage expressions, and reiterating that actively figuring out, meticulously documenting, successfully preserving and vigorously revitalising endangered languages, whereas recognising the significance of free, prior and knowledgeable consent, is prime for transmitting residing heritage and safeguarding conventional data methods for future generations, and upholding the richness of cultural variety;
23. Recognising the significance of strengthening analysis, disaggregated knowledge assortment and reporting, analysis, knowledge-sharing, mental alternate and worldwide cooperation to assist evidence-based cultural insurance policies that successfully advance social and financial inclusivity and helps the sustainability of the cultural and artistic sectors and industries whereas additionally higher assessing their measurement and contribution to sustainable improvement and, particularly, financial progress and respectable work.

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

24. Recognising the transformative impression of digital applied sciences on financial progress, innovation and inclusive improvement by means of tradition, enhancing documentation, safeguarding, interpretation, presentation, preservation, safety, resilience, analysis, creation, promotion, dissemination and long-term transmission of tradition and heritage, whereas driving the expansion of cultural and artistic sectors and industries, increasing audiences engagement and entry, selling cultural variety, freedom of expression, inclusion, and fostering world cultural markets;
25. Recognising the alternatives and challenges of the digital surroundings – together with the widespread impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI), for cultural and artistic sectors and industries, requiring ongoing collaboration amongst governments and stakeholders to construct truthful, numerous and sustainable digital cultural economies and ecosystems respectful of common human rights, with mechanisms making certain the management by artists, authors and creators over their copyrighted works in accordance with related nationwide, regional and worldwide laws on the matter, together with on mental property, and based mostly on inclusivity, illustration, fairness, accessibility, cultural and linguistic variety, transparency, belief, data integrity, and freedom of expression with safeguards towards present harms and potential dangers comparable to disinformation, misinformation, hate speech, misappropriation, distortion, exploitative knowledge extraction, privateness loss and risk to cultural and linguistic variety;
26. Recalling the rules of inclusion, social participation and accessibility, for the complete train of cultural rights and reaffirming the significance of truthful remuneration for cultural professionals and creators, the safety of mental property rights, acknowledging the considerations raised by cultural professionals and creators in regards to the unauthorised use of their identify, voice, picture, and likeness towards unauthorised use, the consent-based safeguarding and sharing of cultural heritage, and inclusive entry to and improvement of cultural markets in any respect ranges notably by means of sturdy Digital Rights Management;
27. Recognising the significance of transparency in the usage of copyrighted works for the coaching and improvement of AI; of compliance with copyright regulation as relevant in regional or nationwide context; of a good remuneration or fee for authors and different copyright holders, in addition to the necessity to promote transparency on AI-generated output so as to foster a good, protected, safe and reliable ecosystem, whereas additional acknowledging the necessity to protect and promote human-centred creativity and cultural variety;
28. Stressing the necessity to overcome digital divides, inside and between nations by prioritising funding in digital infrastructure and digital cultural innovation and creativity particularly in creating economies, selling worldwide cooperation, creating sustainable, safe, reliable and inclusive AI to foster reliable data and safer data areas, data sharing, on mutually agreed phrases, and inclusive digital entry, digital and media literacy, capability constructing and abilities improvement, coaching and empowering creators, significantly girls and ladies, youth, Indigenous Peoples, in addition to native and conventional communities, and other people in susceptible conditions to foster innovation and creativity, and allow future generations to contribute meaningfully to the worldwide cultural panorama.

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

29. Reiterating our concern for the rising impression of local weather change on tradition, together with the safety of cultural heritage, the transmission of Indigenous Peoples’, in addition to native and conventional communities’, languages and data methods, whereas recognising the precise wants and particular circumstances of creating nations, additionally reaffirming our steadfast commitments in pursuit of the target of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to sort out local weather change by strengthening the complete and efficient implementation of the Paris Agreement;
30. Acknowledging that tradition, in all its dimensions, can meaningfully contribute to local weather change mitigation adaptation, and halting and reversing biodiversity loss, by, amongst others, safeguarding cultural and pure, tangible and intangible heritage and foster resilience, mitigation and adaptation actions within the cultural and artistic sectors and industries by means of improved proof constructing, monitoring and resilience methods; drawing on related cultural practices and data methods, together with these of Indigenous Peoples, in addition to native and conventional communities, with recognising the significance of free, prior and knowledgeable consent to tell local weather motion and practices; in addition to the essential position of training in supporting cultural facets of nationwide adaptation, mitigation and resilience methods by means of the availability of abilities obligatory for a sustainable future and selling extra sustainable artistic networks and ecosystems of sustainable consumption and manufacturing, by means of applicable insurance policies, incentives and circularity approaches throughout the cultural sector and artistic industries, consistent with nationwide priorities and plans;
31. Noting that tradition associated worldwide and multi-stakeholder cooperation and capability constructing strengthens local weather motion by partaking with numerous actors and networks, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, considering totally different nationwide contexts;
32. Acknowledging the progress in contemplating tradition in world local weather discussions and coverage, following the adoption of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Framework for Global Climate Resilience on the twenty eighth UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28), significantly concerning the goal on the safety of cultural heritage from the impacts of climate-related dangers below the UAE framework for local weather resilience and the work of the UAE-Belém work programme on indicators, and being conscious of the launch of the Group of Friends of Culture-Based Climate Action (GFCBCA), who by means of their advocacy and data constructing efforts spotlight the potential of tradition and cultural heritage for supporting local weather motion.

Call for the next actions

33. We name upon all nations, worldwide organisations, and stakeholders to reaffirm, shield and promote cultural rights enshrined within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with the aim of advancing tradition as a cornerstone of sustainable, peaceable and inclusive improvement. This contains recognising the significance of defending cultural variety, selling civic engagement and making certain equal alternatives for everybody to entry, take part in, and to profit from tradition, whereas confronting racism, discrimination and prejudice.
34. We encourage the common ratification and efficient implementation of worldwide agreements and conventions, as relevant, to safeguard cultural heritage, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property within the Event of Armed Conflict, and its two protocols; the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970), the UNESCO Convention in regards to the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001), the UNESCO Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) and the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995).
35. We name for assist of an open, inclusive and responsive dialogue on the return and restitution of cultural property significantly by means of bilateral dialogue and multilateral mechanisms offered by UNESCO together with its Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP), as applicable. In this spirit, we decide to:

a. Promoting specialised data constructing and sharing in provenance analysis and cultural property claims in addition to the dissemination of fine apply and of case research on return and restitution together with in shut coordination with museums, galleries, public sale homes, non-public collectors, {and professional} networks comparable to International Council of Museums (ICOM) amongst different associated actors;
b. Enhancing on-line instruments and digital applied sciences, selling interoperability amongst present inventories and databases, strengthening shared capabilities of provenance analysis, on mutually agreed phrases;
c. Supporting capacity-building of organisations and cultural establishments, together with in creating nations, by means of technical help and the alternate of experience and data, notably on provenance analysis, due diligence and efficient stock administration and conservation practices of cultural property.

36. We name for stronger and more practical world coordination to struggle towards the illicit trafficking of cultural property in cooperation with UNESCO, INTERPOL and different organisations and establishments which have developed instruments and applications on this regard. This contains:

a. Facilitating cooperation, capability constructing, technical exchanges, provenance analysis, heritage stock administration and training,
b. Establishing applicable constructions and instruments on the nationwide and regional degree comparable to specialised regulation enforcement items and databases of stolen cultural objects, up to date and interconnected with INTERPOL’s related policing capabilities; and different related multilateral instruments,
c. Engaging and coaching of sellers, cultural managers, museums, galleries and public sale home professionals in addition to regulation enforcement and judiciary authorities,
d. Fostering collaboration to leverage the potential of AI within the struggle towards the illicit trafficking of cultural property
These efforts ought to permit higher capability to take care of this inherently transnational crime in addition to greater requirements for verifying the origin and authenticity of cultural property, based mostly on internationally agreed requirements and instruments developed by related worldwide organisations.

37. We name for strengthening nationwide coverage frameworks additional integrating cultural insurance policies with socio-economic methods constructing on shared data, multistakeholder cooperation and enhanced worldwide cooperation, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of financial and social rights of artists, cultural professionals and practitioners with a view:

a. to successfully assist the event and resilience of the cultural and artistic sector and business, fostering a thriving cultural financial system that builds on native cultural sources, and allows mutually helpful worldwide cultural exchanges and worldwide cultural relations to advertise dialogue and belief between societies,
b. to foster an enabling surroundings conducive to making sure entry to tradition and participation in cultural life for all, enhancing funding in cultural infrastructure; defending and fostering cultural and linguistic variety; addressing social and financial rights of and inventive freedom for artists and cultural professionals each on-line and offline; and addressing the impression of the over-commercialisation, decontextualisation, misappropriation and misrepresentation of residing heritage,
c. to favour a extra balanced movement in cultural items and providers between nations, fostering cultural variety, consistent with the UNESCO 2005 Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, as relevant.

38. We reaffirm our dedication to advancing insurance policies that empower these working within the tradition and artistic sector and industries, aiming to strengthen frameworks that promote and maintain respectable work and inclusive progress, together with by means of participatory governance and social dialogue, notably by:

a. Strengthening cooperation and dialogue to enhance the standing of artists and cultural professionals by selling their financial, social and cultural rights and inventive freedom, together with within the platform financial system. This may embody frameworks based mostly on mental property rights,
b. creating and implementing internationally comparable indicators, leveraging frameworks just like the revised UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD’s) Framework for Creative Industries and Trade, and the WIPO Creative Economy Data Model,
c. fostering partnerships with worldwide organisations comparable to UNESCO and UNCTAD, in addition to related world and regional organisations and statistical establishments.

41. We encourage all nations to contemplate applicable AI coverage approaches and governance methods, which can embody measures that are human-cantered, moral, and respectful of common human rights, making certain protected, safe, and reliable AI improvement, contemplating the significance of transparency and truthful remuneration or fee for the usage of copyrighted works within the coaching and improvement of AI; mechanisms to make sure the management of artists, authors and creators over their copyrighted works within the digital surroundings, in accordance with related nationwide, regional and worldwide laws and authorized frameworks on the matter; to advertise the transparency of generative-AI output and noting the potential unfair competitors led to by such outputs within the artistic and cultural sectors; and to advertise insurance policies that assist cultural and linguistic variety.
42. We name for the promotion of a sustainable digital cultural ecosystem during which artists, authors and creators are appropriately compensated, fostering collaboration amongst companions and stakeholders in any respect ranges to make sure the discoverability, availability and accessibility of numerous AI instruments and providers; and cultural content material, supporting media plurality and independence on digital platforms. This contains advancing inclusive governance methods that respect common human rights and mental property rights, whereas preserving linguistic and cultural variety, together with these of Indigenous Peoples, in addition to native and conventional communities; as relevant.
43. We reiterate the necessity to strengthen and adapt cultural insurance policies and authorized frameworks to handle the significance of digital applied sciences, paying attention to the Global Digital Compact’s aim of an inclusive, open, sustainable, truthful, protected and safe digital future for all, considering totally different nationwide realities, capacities and ranges of improvement and respecting nationwide insurance policies and priorities and relevant authorized frameworks. This contains constructing on present devices, as applicable, comparable to, the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, its 2017 Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of the Convention within the Digital Environment, and to the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, whereas persevering with evaluation on the desirability, technical and authorized facets of a further Protocol and different authorized choices to assist the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the variety of cultural expressions within the digital surroundings.
44. We encourage initiatives that contemplate cultural facets in nationwide local weather methods, based on nationally outlined priorities and plans. This contains enhancing interministerial dialogue and worldwide cooperation and data sharing, as applicable inside nationwide contexts, in addition to encouraging artistic and cultural stakeholders to contribute to nationwide commitments to local weather motion.
45. We encourage significant actions associated to scaling-up tradition and cultural heritage-based methods supporting local weather motion, together with: (i) enhancing cooperation on data constructing and public engagement associated to the impression of local weather change within the cultural sector (ii) supporting the refinement of indicators on the goal on safety of Cultural Heritage from the impacts of climate-related dangers as a part of the UAE-Belém Work Programme; (iii) contemplating non-economic losses, together with cultural heritage and identification, within the context of local weather change; (iv) being conscious of the work of the GFCBCA; and (v) supporting additional discussions on the interrelationship between tradition and local weather, within the Road to Belém at COP30 and future COPs.
46. We name for the complete recognition and safety of tradition with its intrinsic worth as a transformative driver and an enabler for the achievement of the SDGs and the development of the inclusion of discussions on tradition as a standalone aim in a attainable post-2030 improvement agenda.

Way Forward

47. We commend and thank South Africa for its management in 2025, and stay up for persevering with strengthening and selling the G20 Culture Working Group’s collective agenda below the Presidency of the United States of America (USA), with clear targets and deliverables to advance the group’s dialogue on tradition’s basic position in fostering sustainable improvement, based mostly on the progress
made below this group since its institution and the legacy constructed by Saudi Arabia, Italy, Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa.
48. We acknowledge and thank all collaborating worldwide organisations – together with UNESCO, as data accomplice, ILO, INTERPOL, WIPO, International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the African Development Bank (AfDB), International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Africa World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and ICOM for his or her beneficial contributions to the Culture Working Group throughout South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
49. We, the G20 Culture Ministers, will submit this Declaration to the G20 Leaders’ 2025 Summit. We reaffirm tradition’s intrinsic worth and its cross-cutting relevance to public coverage and its multifaceted impression in forging extra inclusive societies, fostering dialogue and sustaining peace, regionally and internationally.