Culture 21

In October 2004 the United Cities and Local Governments World Council met in São Paulo, and officially adopted the Culture 21 as a reference document, to be managed and coordinated by the UCLG.

The "Principles" include core values such as cultural diversity and human rights, as well as perspectives on which actors will implement the agenda.

Participation in culture takes place through channels including internet, public spaces, and work.

The recommendations section addresses local and national governments, regional blocs, and international organizations, offering advice for how each of them can implement this agenda.

The Committee on culture is co-chaired by Buenos Aires and the City of Mexico and vice-chaired by Angers, Barcelona, Belo Horizonte, Bilbao, Bogotá, Jeju, Paris and Porto Alegre since 2016.

Other organizations promoting Culture 21 include UNESCO and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

UNESCO and UCLG have advocated for inclusion of culture in the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have continued to promote this outlook.

The Committee welcomed the publication of this paper and believes that the New Urban Agenda should provide details of a culture-based approach to local sustainable development.

[18] The extensive work and activism undertaken by the Agenda 100 for culture led the UCLG Executive Bureau to head the preparation of the policy statement document "Culture: the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development", approved on 17 November 2010 in the framework of the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders – 3rd UCLG World Congress, held in Mexico City.

[19] The Moroccan city Essaouira, according to mayor Asma Chaabi, has been incorporating culture into its implementation of Local Agenda 21 since the 1990s.