The Congress provided the very first global forum to discuss the role of culture in sustainable development, with participation of the global community and major international stakeholders representing 82 countries.
“UNESCO is to be saluted for keeping the work of cultural development high on the international agenda,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam, who was received by Her Excellency Madame Liu Yandong, Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China. “I also want to recognise the important work that China has been doing, in cooperation with UNESCO and through its own advances in cultural development.”
Not long ago, noted Mawlana Hazar Imam, culture and development were deemed incompatible: “‘Cultural heritage' was often seen as a potential drain on fragile economies, even a barrier to modernisation.”
“The closer linking of culture with development grew initially, I believe, out of an increasing respect for the pluralism of developing societies,” said Hazar Imam.
“My attention to cultural legacies was triggered over three decades ago, when I realised that the proud architectural heritage of the Islamic world was endangered,” continued Mawlana Hazar Imam. “Our response to that situation began with the creation, in 1977, of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, dedicated to the renewal of this legacy. Soon afterward came the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and under its aegis, the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme.”
As Chairman of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), Mawlana Hazar Imam explained how the Trust has been able to use culture as a catalyst for development in a number of projects including the restoration, through the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme, of 20 major heritage sites in nine different countries – many of them at UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
During his speech, Mawlana Hazar Imam shared key lessons learned from AKTC's decades of work in the area of cultural development. First, that public-private partnership is a keystone for effective cultural development, and these partnerships must be maintained throughout the life of the project. Second, that while cultural development often begins with physical legacies, planning must focus well beyond cultural goals. Third, that the engagement of the local community from the earliest stages is imperative for success. Fourth, the resilience and adaptability of all partners, including the people of local neighbourhoods, is critical; and fifth, that planning for such projects must anticipate how they will operate on a continuing basis after they are completed.
