The Global Forum on Arts, Culture, Creativity and Technology (G-FACCT), which was hosted in the Colombian city of Medellin for the fourth time, had participation from the UAE.
Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, attended the occasion that drew some of the most important figures in the global creative sector.
The UAE official spoke extensively during the panel discussion that was held on July 22, 2022, as part of the three-day conference, about the UAE’s cultural and creative sectors and how the country was emphasising them as important drivers of its socio-economic progress.
José Igancio Argote, the deputy minister for heritage and regional development at Colombia’s ministry of culture, and Carolina Pereira, the executive secretary for the creative economy in Chile’s ministry of arts, cultures, and heritage, also participated on the panel. Conecta Cultura México’s general director Victoria Contreras served as the panel’s moderator.
The Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth elaborated on the main ideas of the UAE’s National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries (Creative UAE) and described how the UAE, with its strong Arab and Emirati identity and welcoming diversity, presents a unique model in terms of culture.
The Undersecretary continued by saying that culture is a means of solving many of the issues that face society today. “The vast majority of the problems our planet is currently facing may be solved through culture, which also fosters human connection and offers us a sense of belonging. Another area that is crucial in the realm of warfare today is cultural diplomacy. Culture holds the key to many of the world’s difficulties, including war and sustainability.
Using Expo2020 Dubai as the largest festival of culture and the way it developed cordial cultural ties with the 192 participating countries of the world, he demonstrated how the UAE recognises the importance that cultural diplomacy plays in developing international alliances.