The first ever UNESCO World Conference on Culture and Arts Education took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 13 to 15 February 2024. This major event brought together more than 900 participants, including Ministers of Education and Culture, together with other relevant policy-makers and stakeholders from education and culture sectors.
The Conference adopted a new global framework that integrates arts and culture into education, with a view to enhance creativity, cultural understanding, and skills development worldwide. Building on previous efforts to elevate arts education and foster cross-cultural collaboration, this critically important tool will support national efforts to shape integrated strategies and policies that anchor the cultural dimension into educational systems.
In her address in the opening ceremony of the Conference, Amb. Simona-Mirela Miculescu, President of the 42nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO, called upon all Member States to place culture and art education at the forefront of their national agenda. She also emphasized the importance of translating all the commitments made in Abu Dhabi, into tangible actions, by integrating the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Art Education into each country’s policies, measures, curricula, and teacher training materials.