Sri Lanka (LK);

https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000264687

Sustainable development marks a major turning point in the development landscape. universal, inclusive and transformative, it heralds a shift from aspiration to action. This bold new framework covers a broad set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets that form the backbone of global and national development action for the next 13 years. The relevance of culture to the 2030 Agenda is paramount. No development is sustainable without considering culture. The 2030 Agenda has opened up new avenues to integrate culture into policies for social and economic inclusion and environmental sustainability with innovative solutions that are state-owned. This means harnessing the power of culture to envisage and shape a more inclusive, just and equitable world. Culture, as a resource and a transversal tool, is crucial to achieving this transformative vision.Building on a long-standing commitment to culture and sustainable development, UNESCO has aligned its work in culture to better address sustainable development challenges and opportunities. Sustainable development has increasingly been integrated into the guidelines, policies and strategies of UNESCO’s six main Culture Conventions, recommendations and programmes. As such, it has shaped a range of activities, from tangible and intangible heritage, the diversity of cultural expressions and creative industries, to the fight against the illicit tracking of cultural goods and the protection of culture in armed conflict. Similarly, culture-driven initiatives have advanced development outcomes, evidenced through economic growth, job creation, quality education, environmental management, peace-building and well-being. To date, culture and development has been the subject of six UN resolutions, confirming culture’s role as both an enabler and a driver of sustainable development.In recent years, UNESCO has worked to articulate culture’s contribution to sustainable urban development. The integral role of culture for urban development is reflected throughout the New Urban Agenda and in SDG 11 to ensure that the cities of tomorrow are ‘inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’. UNESCO will further build on this momentum to support the implementation of SDG 11 and its target 4 to ‘protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage’.