The implementation of the UNESCO Culture | 2030 Indicators in Romania

The framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges the transversal role of culture in sustainable development. UNESCO has initiated the elaboration of Thematic Indicators for Culture in the 2030 Agenda (Culture|2030 Indicators) in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The purpose of this initiative is to measure and monitor the progress of culture’s enabling contribution to the national and local implementation of the different Goals and Targets of the 2030 Agenda. As a framework of thematic indicators, the Culture|2030 Indicators are intended to support and complement the global indicators agreed upon within the 2030 Agenda.

The Indicators will help to build an evidence base on culture, underlining the social, economic, and environmental outputs, and benefits of culture, across the different areas of UNESCO action on Culture. Data collected is intended to strengthen the visibility of the culture sector, support the elaboration, implementation and monitoring of policies, programmes, and actions, as well as nurture advocacy and knowledge building on culture and development.

Between 2018-2019, Romania successfully completed the implementation of an earlier set of Culture for Development Indicators (CDIS), carried out by the National Institute for Cultural Research and Training, in collaboration with UNESCO and The Ministry of Culture and National Identity at that time (UNESCO Culture for Development Indicators. Romania’s Analytical Brief and Technical Report). The analytical brief and the technical report were launched during the 6^th edition of the National Conference of Cultural Managers (October 26-27, 2019), in the presence of UNESCO CDIS Individual Specialist, Alma Mrgan-Slipičević.

Based on this experience, on Friday, February 14, 2020, the INCFC team hosted the meeting with UNESCO representatives (Alma Mrgan-Slipičević – UNESCO CDIS Individual Specialist and Matteo Rosati – Programme Officer, Culture of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, located in Venice) where the discussions were focused on the last details related to the implementation of the new set of Indicators at national level.

Romania will be the first European Union member state, to be joined by another 15, in the near future, which will carry out the research project based on the UNESCO Culture | 2030 Indicators, this year.