Article
The Tracker Culture & Public Policy | Special Issue n°2 : Regional Perspectives Asia and the Pacific
Regarding the digital transformation in the Asia and Pacific region, many participants in the MONDIACULT 2022 Regional Consultation cited their concerns regarding the loss of local heritage. Participants cited the opportunities brough by the digital transformation – including the democratization of culture, the expansion of economic opportunities, the search for solutions based on creativity and innovation – and also new challenges, in particular the weakening of cultural diversity as a result of the concentration of markets and digital technologies, but also exacerbating the digital divide. The need to support artists and cultural institutions in the current Covid crisis through new investments and income support was also raised but also explore the need for policy review to reinforce the resilience of the sector, with issues around intellectual property rights and copyright being highlighted as a priority. Recommendations for international cooperation included the development of a digital transformation policy or the adoption of a resolution for the protection of culture in digital transformation, as well as funding and training.
Existing Regional Policy Framworks Linking Culture and The Digital Environment
Goal 2 of the four in the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Strategic Plan 2022-2031 is “all Pacific communities and cultures are empowered and resilient”. The achievement of these goals is based on five pathways, including digitalization and technology.
Connectivity in ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) encompasses the physical (e.g., transport, ICT, and energy), institutional (e.g., trade, investment, and services liberalisation), and people-to-people linkages (e.g., education, culture, and tourism) that are the foundational supportive means to achieving the economic, political-security, and socio-cultural pillars of an integrated ASEAN Community."
