Episode 11: Mondiacult - Unleashing the power of culture to achieve sustainable development

In this episode, Simone Dudt - EMC Secretary General - is joined by Silja Fischer - Secretary General of the IMC, and Jordi Pascual - Coordinator of the Committee on culture of the world organisation of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). Throughout their conversation, they discuss about the third edition of Mondiacult Conference - the world’s biggest cultural policy conference organized by UNESCO - that took place in September 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. Alongside the conference’s main theme and key takeaways, they reflect on what culture and cultural policy can mean in today’s geopolitically challenging times, from defending democracy, human rights and cultural rights to strengthening freedom of expression, solidarity, and the role of civil society. The conversation also highlights the ongoing call for culture to be recognised as a standalone goal in future sustainable development agendas, and the importance of international cooperation in shaping more inclusive cultural policies.