The 2nd edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development took place online from 1 to 5 March. Hosted by the Government of Egypt, this year’s theme “Shaping Africa’s New Normal: Recovering Stronger, Rebuilding Better” placed a spotlight on African-led solutions to deal with challenges of peace, security and development in Africa in the wake of the pandemic. A session on Sustainable Peace and Development through Arts, Culture and Heritage was held at the Forum as part of celebrations for the 2021 African Union (AU) Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage. The Forum concluded by highlighting the critical importance of inclusion, and working together across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus for sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recognition of the United Nations International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2021 took place online under the banner of “The Cultural Economy and the Economy of Culture” from 8 to 10 March. The Summit was organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism in partnership with UNESCO, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Royal Academy of Arts, Google, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, The Economist Events, the British Council and Louvre Abu Dhabi. The fourth edition of the Summit brought together cultural leaders, practitioners and experts from the fields of art, heritage, museums, media and technology to generate new strategies and ways of thinking about culture, and how to better harness its transformative potential to benefit societies and communities worldwide. During the Summit, the chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism announced the launch of a new global study that will be conducted in collaboration with UNESCO to shed light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cultural and creative industries.