As part of the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations which ended Tuesday, May 6, the high-level thematic debate on "Culture and Sustainable Development in the Post-2015 Development Agenda" opened Monday at the headquarters United Nations in New York.

After a brief contextualization of this activity, Irina Bokova, the Director General of UNESCO, stressed the need to take into account the cultural dimension in development programs stressing that "At the Millennium Declaration in 2000, to the Nations United, culture has been forgotten in the debate as if humanity could flourish without culture. Since then, in less than ten years, culture has emerged in public policy demonstrating its economic and social potential, and especially its direct impact on poverty reduction."

"Today, what is at stake now is not the only development; but sustainable and inclusive development. And culture is our greatest asset, "added the Director of Unesco who believes necessary to include culture in the development agenda post-2015.

In his speech, Michaëlle Jean, Special Envoy for Haiti Unesco estimated that "culture should be included in the priority development agenda beyond 2015."

According to Ms. Jean, "The arts and culture are powerful weapons of mass construction" highlighting the Haitian cultural heritage "The Government of Haiti dreams of sufficient means to build neighborhoods, villages with friendly services and public spaces, of quality construction that would demonstrate the brilliance of modes of expression, of the ability to do, innovative capacity of the population."

She also expressed concern about the approach too often adopted by the international community saying that "the ready-made solutions imposed on developing countries, in a manner of evil orderly charity regardless of the will, or identity, or clairvoyance, or the creativity of the population are inevitably doomed to failure."

Haiti was represented at these meetings by Marie Carmelle Rose Anne Auguste, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister Responsible for Human Rights and the Fight against Poverty Extreme. In her speech, she stressed the importance of language and Creole culture, while pointing out that "it is through culture and language that people discover affinities, a common identity, common dreams." She took the opportunity to condemn the attitude of "donors and States that zre often reluctant to invest in campaigns that promote the culture of Haiti and the promotion of its national language (Creole)."

Note that the Minister Auguste, also an artist, before starting its intervention performed the traditional Haitian song "Fè yon vèvè pou mwen Damballah Ouèdo se bon", an original initiative, warmly applauded by the audience.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-11088-haiti-politique-intervention-de-la-ministre-deleguee-rose-anne-auguste-aux-nations-unies.html (in french)

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11080-haiti-social-the-minister-delegate-auguste-and-michaelle-jean-at-the-68th-un-general-assembly.html

HL/ HaitiLibre