The Vice-President of the Basque Country has requested a place for the region and the Basque language at the World Conference 'Mondiacult 2025'.

• The Plenary Session of the Sectoral Conference on Culture was held at ARTIUM this morning. Following the meeting, the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, and the Vice-President of the Basque Country, Ibone Bengoetxea, addressed the media.

• The Vice-President of the Basque Country has presented a proposal outlining the region's potential contributions in the areas of Cultural Rights and SDG 18 of the Basque Country's 2030 Agenda for Culture and Linguistic Diversity.

Vitoria – Gasteiz, 17 October 2024

The Plenary Session of the Sectoral Conference on Culture was held this morning at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basque Country, ARTIUM. The Vice-President, Ibone Bengoetxea, welcomed the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, and, following the group photo with all the institutional representatives of the Autonomous Communities, the plenary session commenced.

At the meeting, chaired by Minister Urtasun, the attendees discussed the progress of the Cultural Rights Plan, and the proposals submitted by various Autonomous Communities. They also received information on the international conference Mondiacult, which will be held in Barcelona in 2025.

Following the meeting, the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, and the Vice-President of the Basque Country, Ibone Bengoetxea, addressed the media.

The vice-president began by noting that at the meeting, she had requested that the Minister of Culture ensure that the Basque Country and the Basque language were given a prominent position at the 'Mondiacult 2025' world conference. Bengoetxea firmly believes that “this conference is an excellent opportunity to showcase the linguistic diversity and plurinational character of the State to the 194 member states of UNESCO.”

Basque Law on Cultural Rights at 'Mondiacult 2025'

UNESCO will present the inaugural world report on the state of culture at the Mondiacult international conference. The Vice-President of the Basque Country believes that the Basque Country deserves its own section in the report, as it can make a significant positive contribution to the discussion on cultural rights: “The government is committed to the creation of a Basque Culture Law, which will provide legal guarantees for the sector. Our objective is to implement a comprehensive legal framework that encompasses all relevant stakeholders, including public administrations, the public sector, the private sector, the public and creators, involving all agents of the Basque culture sector.”

“I am convinced that the Basque Country can serve as a model for developing a comprehensive legal framework that supports the cultural sector with a system of rights, like those currently in place in the education and health sectors. I believe that the Mondiacult 2025 conference provides an excellent opportunity to gain insights from other countries and to develop connections between states, which will help to enhance this legislative proposal.”

Agenda 2030 and SDG 18 on Culture and Linguistic Diversity

Secondly, Bengoetxea emphasised the importance of recognising the specific needs of the Basque Country within the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out in the UNESCO Global Agenda 2030: “We consider it necessary that another goal be included, with a particular focus on culture and languages, including the Basque language, as a central aspect alongside the other SDGs. It was argued that personal and collective development of a community must also necessarily involve this area.”

The Vice-President concluded: “We are pleased to announce that the Basque Country has incorporated one more goal into the 2030 Agenda, number 18, related to Culture and Linguistic Diversity. It is of the utmost importance to us to ensure that Basque residents have the right to create and receive culture in their language: Basque. It is for these reasons that I am requesting a place for the Basque Country and the Basque language at the Mondiacult 2025 conference.”