Unesco accepts a proposal from Mexico and Turkey to proclaim World Art Day

The Unesco Consultative Council adopted the proposal that it will submit to the General Conference in November so that it comes into force in 2020. In the framework of the 206th session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the initiative proposed by the delegations of Mexico and Turkey to proclaim April 15 was adopted by acclamation. as World Art Day.

This initiative was promoted by the International Association of Plastic Arts (AIAP), a non-governmental organization associated with Unesco, and created in the mid-20th century with the support of renowned artists such as Miró, Braque, Delaunay, and Vasarely. In the General Assembly of the AIAP in 2011 (Guadalajara, Mexico), it was proclaimed on April 15, the birth of Leonardo da Vinci, as World Art Day and it was agreed to take the initiative to the organization, to declare it International Day associated with said organization.

In this context, the governments of Mexico and Turkey decided to resume this unanimous decision. The proposal adopts the classical conception of art, defined as the expression or application of creative skills and imagination to create works that are prized mainly for their beauty, intellect, or emotional power. With this decision, we will seek to promote arts education, as well as the use of art to innovate and create tools that support Unesco's efforts to improve people's lives.

According to the Permanent Representative of Mexico to Unesco, this initiative is proposed as an instrument to promote the role of culture as a transversal tool to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, while strengthening the sectors and programs of the ONU. In addition, it can contribute to improving the professional, social and economic situation of the artists. Finally, it is a reminder of the incalculable contributions that the arts and cultural heritage represent for humanity.

The adoption of World Art Day confirms Mexico's position as a cultural power that fosters the strategic role of creative industries and policies in the field, as central points to generate development and overcome social fragmentation. This is carried out by the first and third axes of our Transformative Multilateral Foreign Policy, which emphasizes work in favor of inclusive, open prosperous, and happy societies, as well as respect for cultural diversity and non-discrimination. The proclamation of this day will be held in November during the General Conference of Unesco to begin its commemoration from April 15, 2020.