The Hercegnov Declaration "Culture and Art for Sustainable Development" will strengthen the integration of art and culture in education, improve access to education, encourage creativity and innovation, and improve cross-border cooperation, the Ministry of Culture and Media (MKM) announced.
The government department reminded that the Herzegnov declaration "Culture and art for sustainable development" was adopted at the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Culture of Southeast Europe (CoMoCoSEE), which was chaired by the Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujović.
MKM announced that art and culture are strong carriers of cultural awareness and expression, social cohesion and the encouragement of critical thinking, creativity and innovation, which is essential for the sustainable development of societies.
They stated that the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education, adopted in Abu Dhabi in February this year, has five important strategic goals, among which are access, inclusion and equality in and through culture and arts education and contextual, quality, lifelong and broad learning in and through education about culture and the arts.
Among the important strategic goals of that framework are, as it is added, appreciation of cultural diversity and the ability for critical engagement, skills for shaping a more resilient, just and sustainable future, as well as the formalization and valorization of the ecosystem of culture and art education.
MKM said that, as a continuation of the discussions started in Abu Dhabi on the subject, they want to focus on the transformative role of art and culture in education as a foundation for sustainable, inclusive and fair societies.
"The integration of culture into education, which was discussed at the meeting of ministers, is key to fostering creativity, critical thinking and a deep appreciation of diversity among our youth," said the MKM.
It was announced that the integration of art and culture in education will be strengthened.
"Signatories of the Declaration will advocate for comprehensive programs that cover the history, theory and practice of various art forms and cultural expressions. It will support the professional development of educators, artists and cultural workers", said the Ministry.
The announcement states that cross-border cooperation will be improved through exchanges, joint projects and collaborative networks.
"Thanks to technology, access to education in the field of culture and art will improve. Challenges will be solved and inclusivity in access to education in the field of culture and art will be ensured, as well as innovation and creativity will be encouraged," the statement said.
The signatories of the Declaration are committed to the ethical use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in education.
"We will encourage the development of policies that integrate culture and art into national education strategies. The commitment to the creation of the Cultural Cooperation Fund (CCF) in cooperation with UNESCO was reaffirmed," said the MKM.
They said that CoMoCoSEE represents the most important regional platform in the field of culture, which serves to exchange experiences, establish new, joint models of cooperation and harmonize the priorities of cultural policies.
That regional council today gathers 12 member states, two states in the capacity of observers and three international organizations also in the capacity of observers.
"The adopted Herzegnov declaration successfully concluded Montenegro's presidency of the Council of Ministers of Culture of Southeast Europe and sent a message of commitment to stronger cooperation of SEE countries in the field of culture and art education," the announcement says.
It is added that the chairmanship of CoMoCoSEE has been handed over to North Macedonia, where the meeting of the ministers of culture will be organized next year.
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