Indonesia Promotes Culture as a Global Development Goal after 2030 in BRICS

BHOPAL - Indonesia encourages that culture be placed as a separate goal within the framework of global development after 2030. The encouragement was conveyed by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, at the XI BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, Saturday (8/8).

The meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of India, raised the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability". This forum is an opportunity for BRICS countries to strengthen cultural cooperation as an important part of responding to various global challenges while encouraging resilient and sustainable development.

In his intervention, Menbud Fadli expressed his appreciation to the Government of India for its leadership in BRICS 2026 and emphasized Indonesia's support for the adoption of the Declaration of the XI BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting. According to him, BRICS cultural cooperation needs to be people-oriented, inclusive, and based on sovereign equality, consensus, and mutual respect.

"Indonesia welcomes the Declaration of the XI BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting as a joint commitment to make culture a strategic force for resilience, innovation, sustainability, and strengthening cooperation among BRICS countries," said the Minister of Culture.

Menbud Fadli Zon assessed that various global challenges, ranging from technological disruption, economic uncertainty, climate change pressure, to social fragmentation, increasingly show that culture is not merely a complement to development. Culture, he said, is a foundation that can strengthen people's resilience, encourage innovation, strengthen social cohesion, and support sustainable development.

On this basis, Indonesia encourages the strengthening of BRICS cooperation through four main agendas. First, strengthening the protection of cultural heritage as well as cooperation in the return and restitution of cultural objects. Second, strengthening the cultural and creative industries by placing artists and creators as the center of the ecosystem, including through the protection of intellectual property rights and fair remuneration.

Third, Indonesia encourages the protection of traditional knowledge systems by ensuring the involvement of communities and knowledge holders. Fourth, Indonesia proposes that culture be placed as a separate goal in the post-2030 global development framework, so that the contribution of culture to development can be more clearly and sustainably recognized.

"The commitments that have been agreed upon need to be translated into concrete, sustainable, and mutually beneficial steps. BRICS cooperation must be a bridge that connects creators, communities, institutions, and future generations," continued Menbud Fadli.

In line with Indonesia's encouragement, the Declaration of the XI BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting emphasized a number of joint commitments in the cultural field. The BRICS countries are committed to strengthening the cultural and creative industries, including the protection of intellectual property rights and fair remuneration for creators, as well as encouraging the use of artificial intelligence ethically, transparently, and responsibly while respecting cultural diversity.

The declaration also emphasizes the importance of strengthening documentation and provenance research as well as cooperation in the return and restitution of cultural objects. On the other hand, the BRICS countries agreed to strengthen the protection and promotion of traditional knowledge systems through community participation, as well as increasing cooperation between museums, libraries, archives, manuscript centers, and other cultural institutions.

In the declaration, culture was also stated to need to be considered as a separate goal within the framework of future international development. This strengthens the position of culture as a strategic part of the global development agenda, not merely as a supporting sector.

The meeting, which was attended by BRICS member countries, namely India, Indonesia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Ethiopia, China, Russia, and Iran, as well as BRICS partner countries, Cuba, Belarus, Thailand, and Kazakhstan, is part of the BRICS Culture Track 2026 series.

The series discussed, among others, the cultural and creative industries, copyright and artificial intelligence, the protection of cultural heritage and the return of cultural objects, as well as culture and sustainable development.

Through its participation in BRICS, Indonesia continues to encourage more strategic cultural diplomacy and international cooperation that provides tangible benefits for artists, creators, cultural actors, institutions, and communities. Indonesia also emphasizes the importance of ensuring that agreements at the international level can be translated into concrete, inclusive, sustainable programs and cooperation, and provide benefits for future generations.