This ancient city is, once again, ready to host yet another G20 meeting. The 4th G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting will begin on Wednesday culminating in the Culture Ministers’ Meeting (CMM) on August 26. The delegates from G20 member nations, invitee countries, and various international organisations will attend the meeting.
In 2020, under the Saudi Arabian presidency, the Culture Ministers’ met for the first time on the sidelines of the G20. In 2021, Culture was formalised as a working group during the Italian presidency, leading to the inaugural G20 CMM and the consequential Rome Culture Ministers’ Declaration. The ‘Bali Declaration’ of 2022 under the Indonesian presidency further stressed the role of culture in sustainable development. In Varanasi, this would be the fourth time that the Culture Ministers of the G20 members and invitee countries would be meeting.
Building upon the success of the previous three CWG meetings in Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar and Hampi, as well as the four Global Thematic webinars, the 4th CWG meeting in Varanasi, from August 23 to 25, aims to arrive at actionable outcomes while positioning culture at the heart of policy making.
The insights and recommendations from the expert-driven Global Thematic webinars on the priority areas of the CWG have been collated in a comprehensive report titled ‘G20 Culture: Shaping the Global Narrative for Inclusive Growth’. This insightful report, by India’s G20 presidency’s CWG, will be launched in Varanasi as a part of the CMM.
The 3rd CMM in Varanasi will be an opportunity to catalyse collective actions for accelerating progress on the four priority areas articulated by the Indian presidency- protection and restitution of cultural property, harnessing living heritage for a sustainable future, promotion of cultural and creative industries and creative economy, and leveraging digital technologies for the protection and promotion of culture.
The CWG, under India’s G20 presidency, had launched the ‘Culture Unites All’ campaign to highlight India’s unwavering belief in multilateralism based on peaceful coexistence among diverse cultures and communities. The CWG is releasing a special stamp to commemorate the campaign on August 26. The ‘Culture Unites All’ postage stamp has been crafted as a distinctive emblem combining the ideas of connectivity, communication, and journey representing a cultural exchange and establishing cultural context.
The delegates will have the opportunity to experience world-renowned Ganga Aarti on the banks of the river Ganga, and explore the beautiful history of the lion capital of Sarnath.
The G20 Global Orchestra performance titled ‘Sur Vasudha’ celebrating the rich?musical knowledge and heritage of G20 member nations and?invitee countries will be presented in the city. The delegates will also witness cultural performances including Indian classical music and dance forms during their time in Varanasi.