His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture, participated in the ninth BRICS Ministers of Culture Meeting held in St.Petersburg in Russia on September 11, 2024. The Culture Ministers meeting was held in St. Petersburg, the cultural capital of Russia, leading to the adoption of the Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Culture of BRICS member states.

Addressing the Meeting, HE Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi emphasised the critical role of multilateralism and the growing need for collaboration and joint work in tackling global challenges. He highlighted the importance of expanding BRICS and reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to fostering multilateralism and boosting integrated action for a safe, secure, and sustainable world.

His Excellency said: “The UAE strongly advocates for culture-based policy action, recognizing culture as a vital tool for achieving sustainable development, peaceful coexistence, inclusivity and inclusivity. Safeguarding culture and promoting cultural dialogue are national priorities, as we believe culture can unite people and drive global transformation.”

His Excellency highlighted culture as a valuable resource for socioeconomic growth and climate action, adding that “cultural festivals, art exhibitions, film festivals, forums, and conferences all serve as vital platforms to celebrate cultural diversity, strengthen social bonds, and unlock the potential of creative industries”.

“Culture and creative industries play a vital role in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, economic growth, and job creation while also serving as a key driver in exporting a nation’s culture and values globally. It is thus imperative to create a metric for data collection and measuring the culture and creative industries’ economic output to assess their role in contributing to the socioeconomic growth of communities,” His Excellency commented.

Adding further that through shared efforts, the world can address the challenges of tomorrow.

The UAE has previously co-led a resolution to consolidate action to protect the cultural and creative ecosystem, which was adopted by the UNESCO Executive Board in 2021. The decision emphasized the importance of strengthening efforts to nurture and protect the cultural and creative ecosystem and develop international indicators on cultural and creative industries to assist all member states in quantifying and overseeing the sector’s development.

A delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Culture accompanied H.E. Salem Al Qassimi to the BRICS culture summit. The delegation met with culture officials from other member states to review the BRICS cultural agenda and deliberate on the draft Declaration of the BRICS Ministers of Culture a day before the ministers’ meeting.

Russia is chairing the 2024 BRICS Summit, which will be held under the theme Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security.

The UAE delegation, led by H.E. Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi, also attended the tenth St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, which began on September 12 following the BRICS Culture Ministers Meeting. The Forum hosted a business programme at the Main Headquarters of the Hermitage in the State Academic Chapel of St. Petersburg.

A gala concert and a welcome reception for the delegations from different countries were also held during the forum, which featured panel discussions and high-level meetings as well as a rich cultural programme including the premiere of the ballet “Crime and Punishment” by B. Eifman Theater on the Historical stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre.

Emirati mezzo-soprano Fatima Al-Hashmi also performed at the gala event, delivering a captivating performance of classic songs