BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting Concludes in Bhopal with Adoption of Bhopal Declaration

Convener News Desk

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Bhopal, Aug 8: The XI BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting concluded in Bhopal on Saturday under India’s BRICS Chairship with the adoption of the Bhopal Declaration, outlining a practical framework to deepen cultural cooperation among BRICS member and partner countries.

 

The meeting brought together representatives of 14 countries, including 10 BRICS member countries—Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE—and four partner countries, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan and Thailand. Egypt participated virtually. A total of 55 delegates attended the Culture Track meetings.

The deliberations were guided by India’s BRICS theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with emphasis on converting cultural dialogue into practical initiatives and strengthening institutional cooperation.

The Bhopal Declaration seeks to expand collaboration in cultural and creative industries and the creative economy, including exchange of best practices, support for creators, professional networking and wider market access through digital tools.

It also envisages greater cooperation on UNESCO multinational nominations, provenance research and the return and restitution of cultural property, including exploration of AI-enabled tracing tools. The declaration further stresses safeguarding Traditional Knowledge Systems and Traditional Cultural Expressions, along with cooperation among museums, libraries and archives in digitisation and conservation.

The participating countries also discussed protection of creators’ rights and the need for transparency and fair remuneration in the use of copyrighted works in artificial intelligence systems.

As a concrete initiative, India announced a pilot programme to establish a Voluntary Artist Registry aimed at facilitating cultural exchanges, strengthening professional networks and creating greater opportunities for artists and creative practitioners across BRICS countries.

The meeting followed three Culture Working Group sessions held under India’s chairship, including virtual deliberations in April, a meeting in Varanasi in June and the final working group meeting in Bhopal on August 5–6.

A major component of the BRICS Culture Track was the two-day BRICS Culture Festival, held in Bhopal on August 6–7. Cultural delegations from Belarus, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia and the UAE presented performances showcasing their artistic traditions.

Centred on the Indian ethos “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah” — “Harmony and Peace to All”, the festival promoted cultural dialogue and people-to-people connectivity. A collective ensemble performance on the second day, presented in the languages of participating countries, symbolised unity through cultural diversity.

The visiting delegations also experienced India’s cultural heritage, including a visit to the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal. The delegations are visiting Sanchi and are scheduled to visit Bhimbetka on August 9.

India thanked the participating BRICS member and partner countries for their engagement during its chairship and reaffirmed its commitment to building a more connected, inclusive and future-ready cultural partnership within the grouping. – (PIB)