The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Active Participation in Mondiacult 2025, Barcelona

The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025) opened on 29 September 2025 and ran until 1 October 2025 at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), bringing together more than 160 high-level delegations, ministers of culture, intellectuals, artists, and international organizations.

The Islamic Republic of Iran actively participated in this international event with a high-level delegation headed by Dr. Seyed Abbas Salehi Shariati, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and accompanied by Dr. Ahmad Pakatchi, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Iran to UNESCO, and Dr. Hassan Fartousi, Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO. The delegation also included Dr. Mohsen Javadi, Deputy Minister for Cultural Affairs; Dr. Hossein Entezami, Deputy Minister for Administrative and Financial Affairs; and Dr. Seyed Rouhollah Hosseini, Advisor to the Minister, all from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Serving as a global platform for cultural policies, the conference built on the outcomes of MONDIACULT 2022 in Mexico and aimed to shape global cultural policies for the post-2030 era. At the opening ceremony, speakers including Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Ernest Urtasun, Minister of Culture of Spain; Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Minister of Culture of Mexico and President of MONDIACULT 2022; and Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, highlighted the importance of culture in sustainable development, peace, justice, climate change, artificial intelligence, and human rights.

The main focus of the speeches was the need to include a “stand-alone cultural goal” in the post-2030 development agenda and the launch of the first Global Report on the State of Culture, unveiled as one of the conference’s major milestones.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Contribution to the Global Cultural Agenda

The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran participated in MONDIACULT 2025 with the aim of presenting the country’s views on cultural rights, cultural equity, and the cultural economy. Dr. Salehi Shariati addressed the specialized session on “Cultural Rights and the Cultural Economy,” emphasizing the importance of cultural equity, the development of the cultural economy, the strengthening of national identity, and the expansion of intercultural dialogue.

The Iranian Minister of Culture’s speaking program also included two main topics: cultural rights and the cultural economy. In these speeches, he will emphasize the role of culture in social justice, equal access to culture, and investment in culture as a driving force for development.

The Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO at Specialized Sessions

Dr. Hassan Fartousi, Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, was also part of the country’s official delegation. During specialized sessions and side events, he presented the achievements of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO to his counterparts from other countries. He emphasized the importance of regional and international cooperation in the field of culture, the exchange of experiences among national commissions, and Iran’s active participation in UNESCO projects related to education, science, culture, technology, and artificial intelligence.

Iran’s Cultural Diplomacy at MONDIACULT

On the sidelines of the conference, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran and his accompanying delegation held bilateral meetings with ministers of culture from various countries, including Pakistan, Azerbaijan, India, Indonesia, Greece, Egypt, Colombia, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan.

These meetings focused on developing joint cultural and artistic programs, academic and artistic exchanges, cooperation in intangible cultural heritage, language and cultural diversity, participation in UNESCO projects on culture and technology, and the organization of joint cultural weeks.

The Iranian delegation also actively participated in MONDIACULT’s side events on topics including cultural and arts education, the protection of cultural heritage in times of crisis, and the role of artificial intelligence in cultural creativity.

A Meaningful Step towards Strengthening Iran’s Cultural Standing

The participation of the Minister of Culture, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, and the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO in MONDIACULT 2025 provided an opportunity to present national perspectives and achievements, strengthen the country’s cultural diplomacy, and deepen constructive engagement with international cultural organizations. This participation further highlighted the Islamic Republic of Iran’s standing in the global cultural dialogue.