Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, met Pedro Sanchez, President of the Spanish government, on Friday at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid. During the meeting, she announced that Spain had been selected by UNESCO to host MONDIACULT 2025.
MONDIACULT is a major event during which the 194 member states of UNESCO work together to define the global agenda for culture. Following the success of the 2022 edition in Mexico City, I am delighted to announce that the 2025 edition will be held in Barcelona. During this ministerial forum, UNESCO will present the first-ever global report on the state of culture, the fruit of three years' work. Together with the President of the Spanish government, we have also decided to place particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, a technology that while rich in opportunities is also a source of great concern for artists. MONDIACULT 2025 will be an opportunity to develop common solutions to ensure that the use of AI is fully respectful of their rights, both in terms of intellectual property and compensation.
Audrey AzoulayUNESCO Director-General
In early 2025, UNESCO will launch a call for projects dedicated to the impact of artificial intelligence on culture. The winners will present their innovative solutions for artists at MONDIACULT 2025.
Barcelona: city that champions UNESCO values
Spain is particularly committed to UNESCO programs. It is the country in the world with the most biosphere reserves and UNESCO Chairs, as well as the third most sites on the World Heritage List. It is also the fifth largest European contributor to the Organization's regular budget.
Barcelona's candidacy was proposed by the Spanish government in October 2023. The candidacy made all the more sense as Barcelona is itself a city that champions UNESCO values. With nine heritage sites protected by the Organization and a UNESCO Category 2 Center dedicated to research in human and social sciences, Barcelona has also been a UNESCO Creative City for Literature since 2015. It has also been designated World Capital of Architecture 2026.
Barcelona also has solid experience in organizing international UNESCO events. It hosted the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in 2022, and will host the Conference of the Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (April) as well as the Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination (December)
In a spirit of consensus, Saudi Arabia has withdrawn its candidacy for MONDIACULT 2025, and has postponed it until the next edition of this world forum for cultural policies.
