The Minister of Culture of Italy invites culture leaders of the European Union and of the Mediterranean to meet in Naples on 16-17, June 2022, to join in a conversation on how to better protect, to enhance and to valorise the precious culture, heritage and landscape of the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Charter is involved and will host a high-level discussion panel on the topic of “Fostering the mobility, upskill and reskill of artists and culture professionals in the Euro Mediterranean region” that will take place on June 16, starting at 2:00 pm. Ideas and experiences gathered during the discussion will contribute to the Ministerial meeting.

Other topics of the conference are:

In coordination with the French Presidency of the European Union, Italy will convene in Naples the first meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the EU-Southern Partnership.  In addition to Ministers and leaders from the European Union and Southern Neighbourhood partner countries, other countries from the region, relevant IOs including UNESCO, the Union for the Mediterranean, UNODC, ICCROM, ICOM, ICOMOS, the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) and more will take part in a two-day programme offering a platform for a joint conversation on the most relevant topics of the international agenda of cultural diplomacy, including:

• identifying Culture as a relevant Mediterranean Common Good, to be promoted and safeguarded through joint efforts and activities of all European and Mediterranean Countries;
• protecting heritage from the threats of illicit trafficking, also as a means of financial support to non-State malicious actors/activities, and
• protecting heritage in the face of conflict and crises, including in the framework of UNESCO activities and of the EU’s civilian Common Security and Defence Policy and Civil Protection Mechanism;
• the integration of culture and the creative economy into regional development processes and policies, also in light of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• how climate change impacts culture and heritage, and how these can enlighten our path to possible solutions to climate change, in light of the Paris Agreement and in view of COP27 in Egypt;
• the role of culture in achieving the goals of the European Green Deal in the Euro-Mediterranean region, including through the New European Bauhaus;
• the EU framework and the instruments for cross border cultural cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region, such as the Creative Europe Programme and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe;
• opportunities offered by the Creative Europe Programme, the Erasmus+ programme, the European Solidarity Corps to support mobility and the upskill and reskill of culture and heritage professionals in the Euro-Mediterranean area, with a focus on the young generations.