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Asia 

• With its wealth of cultural diversity, Asia has a distinctive conception of culture that highly values the intrinsic linkages between tangible and intangible cultural heritage and that views culture as a collective good – a conception that has strongly contributed to shaping international debates to expand the scope of culture.
• The role of culture for nation building and social cohesion is broadly recognised in the region, particularly in the context of increased conflicts and growing inequalities.
• The economic dimension of culture is increasingly recognised; certain countries feature among the main exporters of cultural goods and services, whilst others prioritise cultural industries that draw on collective traditional know-how, notably crafts.
• Culture features in national plans in line with the 2030 Agenda, in particular to address the challenges of rapid urbanization and mass tourism – that have a large impact on cultural heritage – although the cultural dimension of disaster risk reduction and climate change remains underexplored.
• Even though there are great disparities in cultural policies, there are growing regional aspirations to strengthen cooperation through the initiatives of organizations, as well as through cultural diplomacy, particularly cultural routes.

Pacific 

• Culture is integrated into almost every aspect of daily life in the Pacific, with the close linkages between people and their environment shaping a uniquely Pacific way of life on the multiple islands that are relatively geographically isolated.
• The wealth of traditional knowledge and skills is a source for developing more sustainable and resilient communities but the safeguarding of this intangible cultural heritage is under threat due the effects of climate change and the high levels of youth migration.
• A strong regional dynamic has compensated for the lack of national cultural policies and has ensured that culture is embedded in broader public policy.
• The sub-region has been a pioneer in terms of integrating cultural heritage and traditional knowledge into public policy to reduce the risks of natural hazards and in post-disaster evaluation, generating a dynamic in other countries.
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides an opportunity to protect the sub-region’s outstanding marine heritage, broaden the cultural dimension of tourism to stimulate sustainable models and better harness indigenous knowledge.

Central Asia 

• The sub-region places great emphasis on intercultural dialogue, due to its history at the heart of the silk roads where different cultures blended.
• Cultural policies in the region have a strong focus on heritage to foster strong national cultural identities, and the sub-region has strong systems in place for the transmission, including through digital platforms.
• Sub-regional cooperation in the field of culture is growing with heritage and youth projects constituting important areas of cooperation.
• Strong arts education policies that mainly focus on skills development and the transmission of tradition, more than creativity and innovation, are integrated into school curricula.
• Whilst all countries have adopted national plans for attaining the Goals of the 2030 Agenda, culture often remains a specialised policy domain despite its potential for encouraging tourism and designing more inclusive urban policies.

Key documents and publications