September 8, 2023
Who may think that human beings can “be” and “become” without Arts and without Culture… without music, without dance, without fiction, without poetry, without theatre…?
What if culture and arts were the missing pillar towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and a more resilient world in common?
Arts and culture as levers for development – and its significance in building a more sustainable future – have been highlighted by major international conferences over the years.
On the occasion of the 4th Finance in Common Summit in Cartagena, where all Public Development Banks (PDBs) convene to strengthen their partnership and reinforce their commitments for climate change and sustainable development, a Joint Declaration of Interest on “Culture, arts and development” was signed and a new Coalition was launched to support future actions on this crucial issue. For the first time, the Public Development Banks have recognized that Culture and Arts are a fundamental basis for any of the SDGs to be achieved.
This dynamic is fostered by the Metis Arts and Development Fund – an innovative multi-stakeholder initiative hosted within the French Development Agency (AFD). It is seeking development impacts by combining the power of arts and emotional intelligence with the power of technology.
The Joint Declaration has been officially launched on 2023 September 4th. Rémy Rioux (CEO of Agence Française de Développement), Kampeta Sayinzoga (CEO – Development Bank of Rwanda), Vice Governor Böhmer (Council of Europe Development Bank), Serge Ekue (CEO – West African Development Bank), Hyginus Leon (President – Caribbean Development Bank), Sergio Gusmao Suchodolski (Senior Fellow, CEBRI), Antonella Baldino (Vice President of the Instituto per il Credito Sportivo) and Jean Van Wetter (CEO-Enabel) were the first signatories for this growing initiative and welcome new partnerships.
The “Coalition of Culture and arts for development” – a new thematic Finance in Common working group intends to promote a common knowledge of the potential of culture and the arts in relation to development issues. It will also lever the power of art and culture in order to achieve the SDGs through concrete development operations.
This new coalition is coordinated by Tiphaine de Mombynes, Head of the Metis Fund – Arts and Development (AFD).