Italian culture minister calls for global cultural response to coronavirus pandemic during UNESCO video-conference.
"Let's work together under UNESCO guidance to transform this dramatic crisis into an instrument for a new global renaissance through culture, research and education."This is the appeal launched by Italy's culture minister, Dario Franceschini, during a virtual meeting of the UNESCO culture ministers who convened on 22 April to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the world of culture.
The meeting saw 140 culture ministers outline the measures implemented in their countries in support of those employed in the creative and cultural sectors amid the covid-19 crisis.
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The meeting also saw ministers listen to the experiences of countries affected first and those in which the crisis is still developing, and discuss prevention measures affecting the world of culture and the arts.Franceschini said that a "global, coordinated and sustained response is needed to face a global challenge", saying it was "our duty to seize the opportunities and identify the solutions that can overcome the crisis and support recovery."
The minister concluded by saying: "We owe it to our communities, which in these difficult months have found a safe haven in culture."
Image: Primavera by Sandro Botticelli, Uffizi Gallery, Florence.