UK endorses G20 culture declaration in South Africa
On 29 October 2025, UK Culture Minister Stephanie Peacock addressed the G20 Culture Ministerial in KwaZulu‑Natal, South Africa, confirming the UK’s support for the final declaration. The UK Government published her speech on 3 November 2025.
Why this meeting matters for you: when G20 culture ministers agree a plan, it shapes how museums, schools, artists and archives are funded and protected. South Africa, as 2025 G20 president, announced the adoption of the KwaDukuza Declaration on 29 October, setting shared goals for heritage, access and the creative economy.
The UK speech grounded that agenda in real moments of exchange - including a Johannesburg performance of This Is Who I Am, supported by the British High Commission - to underline that cross‑border culture builds understanding, not just audiences.
A quick primer: intangible cultural heritage means living traditions - languages, performing arts, rituals, community knowledge and craftsmanship - passed down through generations. It is protected by UNESCO’s 2003 Convention, which defines both what counts and how countries should safeguard it.
Where the UK and South Africa now stand: the Convention took effect for the UK on 7 June 2024 after ratification in March 2024; for South Africa it entered into force on 24 April 2025. That timing explains why both countries stressed living heritage throughout this year’s talks.
The declaration adopted under South Africa’s presidency highlights four priorities: safeguarding and restitution, integrating culture with development, using digital tools to widen access, and linking culture and climate action. Think of it as ministers agreeing what to work on next, and how to measure progress.
In the UK section of the meeting, ministers pointed to practical work already underway. According to the UK Government’s transcript, the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme has supported 130 projects across Africa, and the declaration’s emphasis on museums as custodians of heritage aligns with that approach.
On the creative economy, both the declaration and the UK remarks emphasised growth, fair opportunity and skills. The UK referenced a plan to remove barriers and expand opportunities for creative industries; South Africa’s hosts also put creator incomes and industry development on the table. For learners, this is policy backing for the jobs many of you want.
Digital and AI came through clearly. The UK called for an inclusive, resilient and sustainable digital environment for culture, while South Africa’s minister argued for fairer pay and visibility for online creators wherever they live. Translation: algorithms and rights frameworks should credit and reward the people making the work.
Climate and culture were treated as linked issues, not separate files. The UK highlighted its International Cultural Heritage Protection work with the British Council. One current project, Withstanding Change, is restoring and protecting six historic sites in Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania (Zanzibar), Ethiopia and Jordan with community training and exchanges.
What this means in practice for your classroom or studio: expect more attention on documenting local traditions, from choirs to craft, and on sharing them responsibly online. If you study media or art, this policy language is an open invitation to link creative projects with community history and climate resilience.
The bottom line: the UK endorsed the KwaDukuza Declaration and signalled that UNESCO living‑heritage work, creator opportunity, digital fairness and climate‑ready heritage will guide its international cultural work. That gives teachers and students a timely frame for projects across art, media, history and geography.