Europa Nostra, the European Voice of Civil Society Committed to Cultural Heritage, celebrated its annual European Cultural Heritage Summit 2022 (25-27 September) in Prague, Czech Republic.

As a result of the European Heritage Policy Agora, Europa Nostra has launched its Prague Manifesto “For a Value-based and Culture-driven Europe”, containing all its key policy messages formulated. Among the high-level contributors were Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth; Martin Baxa, Czech Minister of Culture and Acting Chair of the rotating EU Council Presidency; Vlastislav Ouroda, Vice-Minister for Cultural Heritage of the Czech Republic; Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine; Kostas Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens; Vasco Alves Cordeiro, President of the European Committee of the Regions; Marcos Ros Sempere, Member of the European Parliament; Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra.

The Prague Manifesto stresses the fundamental and irreplaceable role of culture and cultural heritage as a vector to address current challenges from the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the threats to democracy, peace and solidarity across Europe, to the dramatic impact of climate change

The Prague Manifesto puts forward 7 concrete and actionable proposals for culture and heritage to be fully recognised and deployed in building a value-based and culture-driven Europe. These proposals aim at unleashing the potential of culture and heritage for the implementation of the New European Bauhaus initiative, for the advancement of a value-based European Political Union, as strategic assets to foster international cooperation, to support and speed-up Europe’s transition to a green, climate-neutral continent as well as to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, among others.

The Prague Manifesto makes a strong plea to European leaders at all levels of governance – European, national, regional and local –, as well as to all heritage actors – public, private and civil society –, to duly and fully recognise and mobilise the immense potential of cultural heritage to build a more sustainable, more inclusive, more peaceful and more beautiful Europe.

Access the full Prague Manifesto here.

You can also benefit from the recordings of the Summit here.