Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun have declared that the international conference Mondiacult, organised by UNESCO in Barcelona from 29 September to 1 October, will be “another opportunity” to push for recognition of the Palestinian state and the two-state solution .
Speaking at the presentation of the event at Barcelona’s CIDOB think tank, alongside its director Pol Morillas and researcher Anna Ayuso, Albares stressed that defending Palestinian statehood also means defending its culture:
“In every war, beyond the military offensive, there is always a desire to annihilate a language, a culture, a heritage. Barbarism is linked to the destruction of cultural heritage.”
He reiterated that Spain will do everything possible to halt “the massacre” while working towards a realistic and viable Palestinian state, setting a 12-month target for Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations General Assembly .
Urtasun underlined the importance of defending Palestinian culture in international forums at a time he described as “a very important moment, with a genocide in progress”. He noted that pressure from governments such as Spain’s is helping to open the way “in a complicated scenario”, insisting that cultural defence must remain a central pillar .
The ministers also framed Mondiacult as a reaffirmation of multilateralism, which they said is “openly challenged” today. The summit will address issues such as a culture of peace, while also seeking to ensure that culture is recognised as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). More than 150 ministers of culture are expected to take part .
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