Unesco, 30 states pledge to help resume culture in Ukraine

Thirty states, includingItaly, have pledged to increase their support for the recovery of the cultural sector in Ukraine through UNESCO coordination. This was agreed upon following a conference called for by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens’kyj and promoted by UNESCO and held Friday in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. A medium- and long-term action plan, drawn up by the organization in consultation with more than 40 international and Ukrainian institutions, will be implemented. States that have joined are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“It is not possible to heal the wounds of war without culture,” said Ernesto Renato Ottone, assistant director for culture at UNESCO. “There can be no sustainable growth and prosperity without culture. This is the purpose of Unesco’s work in Ukraine from February 2022. That is why the commitment made today by almost thirty of our member states will go down in history.”

Intended, as anticipated, by President Zelens’kyj during his meeting with Unesco Director General Audrey Azoulay, the International Conference for the Recovery of Ukraine’s Cultural Sector took the form of a joint commitment by nearly 30 states from North America, Asia, and Europe to increase their support for artists and cultural professionals in Ukraine, protect and restore sites, and revitalize cultural life through UNESCO coordination.

As of last Thursday, the number of cultural sites for which UNESCO has been able to verify damage has exceeded the symbolic threshold of 400. These include 191 buildings of historical and artistic interest, 137 religious sites, 31 museums, 25 monuments, 15 libraries and 1 archive. Although the first consolidation and restoration projects have been initiated in recent months through UNESCO coordination, particularly in Kyiv and Odesa, the financial needs to carry out this work are immense: an updated UNESCO assessment, published in February 2024, pegs the cost at an average level of $680 million per year until 2033.

In addition to the physical damage, a significant portion of cultural and artistic activities have been disrupted , and many artists have been unable to create or work, leading to a sharp decline in their livelihoods. Since Ukraine cannot meet these needs alone, increasing involvement of the international community is vital.

In this sense, the commitment made by the states at the Vilnius Conference marks an important milestone, especially since it is accompanied by a concrete medium- and long-term plan, developed over the past few months by UNESCO in consultation with Ukrainian authorities and more than 40 national and international organizations.

This plan consists of 6 areas of action: Monitoring, assessing, and documenting damage to cultural heritage; Preventive and urgent measures, repair, reconstruction, and recovery of cultural heritage; Revitalization of cultural institutions and cultural education; Strengthening cultural and creative industries; Enhancing resilience through culture; and Digital transformation of the cultural sector. The plan will help prioritize interventions and ensure effective coordination of international efforts.

UNESCO and the countries participating in the Vilnius Conference agreed to meet again on June 11 and 12 to work on the implementation of this action plan, during the Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled to take place in Berlin.

Image: Artem Lystopad/Unesco

Unesco, 30 states pledge to help resume culture in Ukraine

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