Sharjah 24 – WAM: The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is an opportunity to celebrate the strength and resilience of cultural diversity in particularly critical times.

''For more than a year, the COVID-19 crisis has precipitated a cultural diversity crisis. The closure of museums and world heritage sites and the cancellation of festivals, concerts and ceremonies have plunged the world of culture into a distressing state of uncertainty, threatening in particular independent creators, who are the lifeblood of cultural diversity. Internet might have seemed a necessary solution, but not a sufficient one, because digital technology reproduces, amplifies or creates new inequalities, running the risk of cultural homogenisation,'' said Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the Day, which is celebrated on 21st May every year.

''When online presence concerns only 5 percent of African museums, and by its very nature is incompatible with the ceremonies of our intangible heritage, the diversity of our world suffers. Moreover, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to be structural, not merely cyclical. With one museum in eight that may never reopen and 12 percent of artists considering leaving the cultural sector, for example, cultural diversity in its entirety is under long-term threat,'' she noted.

'' Yet we need cultural diversity more than ever; we need to look at the world from different perspectives. The pandemic has also reminded us of the extent to which culture is a common good, opening up horizons and providing our societies with connection and meaning, making them less solitary and more inclusive.That is why we must help it to recover, in all its strength and diversity.'' ''This implies the need for a cultural "New Deal" based on the views of professionals. UNESCO has made this possible through its ResiliArt debates: more than 270 discussions have taken place in 110 countries, including 25 in Africa.They have put forward shared recommendations to create a more protective status for artists, reduce gender and geographical inequalities and ensure a fair distribution of income between platforms and creators. The ideas are abundant, and this International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development provides an ideal opportunity to implement them. As Claude Lévi-Strauss said, "the diversity of cultures is behind us, around us and in front of us". We must therefore stay the course and forge ahead,'' she concluded.

Held every year on 21st May, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development. The United Nations General Assembly first declared this World Day in 2002, following UNESCO’s adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, recognizing the need to "enhance the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence."