The UNESCO World Conference on cultural policies and sustainable development, known as MONDIACULT 2025, wrapped up its closing ceremony in Barcelona on October 1. India’s Ministry of Culture shared the news on Thursday, highlighting a strong finish to the global event.
The ceremony kicked off with a lively cultural performance. Organizers then read out conclusions from the Youth Forum, heard from civil society groups, and adopted a key outcome document. An oral report on the conference followed, along with final remarks from leaders.
India’s team shone at the event. Amita Prasad Sarbhai, an additional secretary in the Ministry of Culture, represented the country at the closing. She stepped in for Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who had served as co-chair for the Asia-Pacific region during MONDIACULT 2025.
Shekhawat led the full Indian delegation, which included Sarbhai, director Priyanka Chandra from the Ministry of Culture, Vishal Gupta as the minister’s private secretary, and Deepak Sharma, an under secretary from the Ministry of External Affairs. The minister himself joined the opening ceremony and a high-level ministerial plenary session on September 29.
During the conference, Sarbhai, Chandra, and Sharma held important meetings to boost India’s cultural goals. They talked with a Dutch team led by Carlien Schrijvershof, the Netherlands’ deputy permanent delegate to UNESCO, along with Chrustianne Matthijssen from media and Nathalie Kroner from the Ministry of Culture, Education and Science. The group also met Sipiriano Nemani, Fiji’s director of culture.
These chats focused on gaining support for adding Chhath Mahaparv—a vibrant Indian festival—to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. Such multinational backing could help preserve this tradition on the world stage.
In the end, MONDIACULT 2025 ended on a high note. Member states reaffirmed culture as a vital global public good and greenlit the outcome document. It lays out a clear path for better cultural policies and stronger international cooperation in sustainable development.
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