On July 30th, the 2021 G20 Conference of Culture Ministers was held in Rome, Italy. There were five topics, including the protection of cultural relics, coping with climate crisis through cultural method, improving capacity through education and training, digital transformation and application of new technology in cultural area as well as cultural and innovation industries. The conference was held both online and offline. The host was Dario Franceschini, cultural minister of Italy. Attendees were representatives from culture ministries from G20, World Customs Organization, International Criminal Police Organization, International Council on Monuments and Sites as well as other international organizations and industrial associations.
Hu Heping, China’s culture and tourism minister, said in his speech that China’s cultural relics-related causes had made significant achievement with the support and promotion of president Xi Jinping and Chinese government. Chinese government followed the principle that cultural relics should be shared by all; perfected the mechanism to improve institutions; made full use of the supporting effect of science and technology and participated in the international communication and cooperation. In this era, multi-polarization in politic, economic globalization, cultural diversification and society informatization were developing, changing international situation significantly. Cultural heritage was an effective carrier to promote communication and mutual learning among civilizations and to push the building of a community for mankind with a shared future. China would like to enhance cooperation and share experience, as well as came up with following suggestions: first, we needed to use win-win cooperation to safeguard human’s cultural treasure and to offer cultural nourishment and spiritual strength; second, we needed to share responsibilities and achievement as well as to construct a “community with shared responsibilities” and to see developing countries as the core of global cooperation in the protection of cultural relics; third, we needed to use technological support and innovation driving force as well as to promote the transformation of applied technological research to technological achievement, encourage opening and sharing of results, and make full use of result in a sustainable and permanent way forth, we needed to see people as core to realize sustainable development permanently, make cultural heritage protection a part of national education system as well as to nurture protectors, inheritors and promoters of cultural heritage.
Attendees reached a consensus that culture, cultural relics and innovation industries were important for global economic recovery as well as key driving forces of sustainable, balanced and inclusive development. Every party should enhance international cooperation, cultural development, cultural heritage protection as well as digital and technological reform of cultural and innovation industries.