G20 talks on culture set for consensus

The G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting is slated to be held in Varanasi on Saturday where several ministers and representatives from the G20 member nations and guest countries along with representatives of six international organisations will take part in deliberations

Varanasi: Deliberations on the draft of the ministerial declaration on culture being held here are moving towards a “full consensus,” a top official said here on Friday. The ‘Varanasi Culture Ministers’ Declaration’ will be issued after a meeting of the culture ministers of the G20 nations on August 26. Union Culture Secretary Govid Mohan said this during a press briefing on the ongoing fourth and last meeting of the G20 Culture Working Group and the Culture Ministers’ Meeting being hosted in the temple town. The G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting is slated to be held here on Saturday where several ministers and representatives from the G20 member nations and guest countries along with representatives of six international organisations will take part in deliberations.

The international organisations include UNESCO and ICOMOS. “The fourth Culture Working Group Meeting that began on Thursday came to an end on Friday, and on Saturday the ministerial meeting will take place at the end of which a Varanasi Culture Ministers’ Declaration will be issued,” Mohan said. “We are moving towards a full consensus,” he said, adding that they have moved from draft zero to draft 4, ironing out disagreements. The press conference was addressed by Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy, his deputy in the ministry Meenakashi Lekhi and Mohan.

Meanwhile, the city and its ghats have been spruced up for the mega G20 event. Reddy said it was fitting that the last meeting of the G20 Culture Working Group and the Culture Ministers’ Meeting was being held in Varanasi, the cultural capital of India. “It is a matter of great fortune for the Government of India that this important event is being held in Varanasi, the ancient city that reflects the cultural soul and ethos of India,” he told reporters.

A performance by the G20 Global Orchestra, titled ‘Sur Vasudha’, celebrating the rich musical knowledge and heritage of the member nations of the bloc and invitee countries will be presented in the temple town on Saturday evening, Culture Secretary Mohan said.

Artistes from 29 countries – one each from G20 member nations and nine invitee countries – will perform with traditional instruments in the special orchestra, he added. Later in the evening, delegates will also witness the famous ‘Ganga Aarti’ of Varanasi held on its ghats, officials said.

Delegates and international experts have gathered in the temple town for the fourth round of the Culture Working Group, which aims to arrive at “actionable outcomes” while positioning culture at the heart of policymaking. The Culture Working Group’s first meeting was held in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, followed by two more in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar and Hampi in Karnataka.

Mohan, also the Chair of the G20 Culture Working Group, had delivered the welcome remarks on Thursday, saying, “It is my firm conviction that culture will inform renewed, more inclusive approaches to development while also reshaping our vision of the global economy as a whole, thus speaking to the core G20 mandate.”

Following day-long sessions on Thursday, the delegates visited Sarnath – where Lord Buddha had preached his first sermon – and the archaeological museum at the site.

The government, in a statement on Wednesday, said 170 delegates from G20 member and guest nations and various international organisations would attend the event in Varanasi, culminating with the Culture Ministers’ Meeting.