No Culture ↔ No Democracy Conference
12 December 2024 (9:30-13:00), Strasbourg, France
Conference organised under the auspices of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers to mark 70 years of the European Cultural Convention
The adoption of this Convention as one of the first treaties following the European Convention on Human Rights reflects the political commitment of the Governments of the founding Member States “to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage”, in part through cultural policy (Article 1 of the Statute of the Council of Europe).
Today, as the Council of Europe implements the decisions taken at the Reykjavík Summit, and particularly the Principles for Democracy, this commitment is necessary more than ever before. This commitment must be reaffirmed, as without culture, the common values which form the foundation of the Council of Europe, are at risk.
Culture is a driver of curiosity, the very curiosity that underpins diversity and pluralism. Culture brings forth the spirit that promotes critical thinking. Culture represents the creativity that generates innovative solutions.
As we look for intergovernmental fora to counter democratic backsliding and other threats to our common principles, culture is an essential element in a transversal response. As such, the capacity of artists and cultural professionals to speak and work freely, to see their freedoms protected, is vital. This is all the more so as it is they who provide us with the building blocks of cultural and societal evolution. If they are restricted, all of society is restricted. Therefore, in our quest to strengthen the Council of Europe and its work in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, culture must be taken into consideration with renewed attention and commitment.
It is for these reasons that the Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers has elected to anchor culture as one of the priorities of its Presidency, thereby underlining the intrinsic relation between culture, democracy, and human rights.
