Participants of the Tenth St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum - Forum of United Cultures — heads and members of foreign official delegations, representatives of international organizations, professional community in the field of culture, who gathered in St. Petersburg from 16 to 18 November 2023, signed a declaration aimed at creating a common international infrastructure necessary to support the national branches of culture and art of the countries participating in the Forum, as well as to ensure the development of their multifaceted cultural activities.
We, the participants of the Tenth St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum - Forum of United Cultures — heads and members of foreign official delegations, representatives of international organizations, and the professional community in the field of culture, have gathered in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, from 16 to 18 November 2023,
Based on the definition of culture as a concept encompassing not only art and literature but also ways of life, fundamental human rights and value systems, traditions, and beliefs
Emphasizing the need to recognize culture as a global public good
Affirming that culture is the most essential factor in national development, shaping the will of peoples for freedom, independence, and sovereign choice of development model,
Affirming that the modern multipolar world order, in the process in which our countries and peoples are engaged, is based on cultural and civilizational diversity, respect for traditions, and preservation of cultural identity,
Striving for the preservation and enhancement of the world's cultural heritage, which is inconceivable without respect for and careful attention to the artistic contribution of all peoples inhabiting our planet,
Reaffirming the enduring universality and creative potential of the primary United Nations instruments in the field of culture, including the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Intending to multiply national and multilateral efforts to develop multidimensional cooperation in the field of culture and the arts,
Emphasizing that the people of the countries participating in the Forum are greatly affected by
- The impact of inequalities in access to cultural goods and services under the existing global system of trade in cultural goods and services, the effect of the decline of linguistic diversity, particularly on the Internet, and other consequences of the digital divide,
- The increasing politicization of culture and the arts, both within several countries and at the international level,
- The negative impact of sanctions on the cultural sector, resulting in restricted access to the world's cultural heritage, bans on cultural and artistic activities in the mother tongue, and ethnic and linguistic boycotts of cultural operators,
Supporting the rights of citizens and peoples to enjoy the arts, to participate in cultural life, and to have access to the world's cultural heritage, we call for:
- Develop cooperation in the field of culture and the arts in a spirit of openness, building on national cultural traditions;
- Respect the diversity of value systems among states and peoples;
- To oppose the imposition of false values of mass culture, which create the risk of destructive effects on the preservation of the cultural sovereignty of countries and the progressive development of national cultures;
- Oppose the use of unlawful unilateral approaches in the field of culture and art in the form of sanctions, boycotts, bans, and cancellations on racial, ethnic, and linguistic grounds;
- Use national and multilateral opportunities to condemn and prevent, in the field of culture and the arts, approaches based on racism, xenophobia, cultural domination, and all other theories and practices that proclaim the superiority or exclusivity of particular peoples.
We express our willingness to:
- Participate in the formation of a joint international infrastructure necessary to support the national branches of culture and arts of the Forum member countries, as well as to ensure the development of their multifaceted cultural cooperation,
- Through the implementation of specific initiatives, activities, and projects for the development of sustainable cultural and creative industries (festivals, exhibitions, touring activities, awards, training in creative specialties, exchange of experience in the field, etc.),
- Creation of joint institutions and structures (academies, creative unions, rating agencies, auction houses, etc.) involving national public authorities, civil society, and private investors.