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Tonga Joins the Global Community in Advancing Cultural Diversity
On 7 July 2026, Tonga deposited its instrument of ratification with the Director-General of UNESCO. In accordance with Article 29 of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, it will enter into force on 7 October 2026.
By becoming a Party to the Convention, Tonga joins a global community of 162 States Parties committed to creating enabling environments in which artists, cultural professionals and creative enterprises can thrive. The Convention provides the only legally binding international framework dedicated to protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expression while supporting cultural governance, creative industries, international cooperation and the integration of culture into sustainable development.
For Pacific Small Island Developing States, where culture is deeply embedded in community life, traditional knowledge and identity, the Convention offers a valuable framework for strengthening cultural policies and unlocking the economic and social potential of the cultural and creative sectors.
Investing in Pacific creativity
The Pacific is home to one of the world’s richest reservoirs of cultural diversity, encompassing hundreds of Indigenous languages, unique artistic traditions, performing arts and rapidly evolving contemporary creative industries.
The State of Pacific Culture and Creative Industries Report 2024 highlights the region’s cultural and creative industries as a significant yet underutilised driver of sustainable development. While globally the sector contributes 3.1% of GDP and 6.2% of employment, Pacific Island countries continue to face structural barriers including limited cultural policy frameworks, fragmented data, small domestic cultural markets and geographic isolation. At the same time, the report underscores the enormous potential of investing in Pacific creativity to generate livelihoods, strengthen cultural resilience and diversify island economies.
Against this backdrop, Tonga’s ratification comes at a pivotal moment, strengthening the policy foundations needed to support artists, cultural practitioners and creative entrepreneurs.
Unlocking new opportunities for cultural policy, creativity and regional cooperation
Tonga’s ratification builds momentum for implementing the 2005 Convention across the Pacific. Together with Samoa and Niue, which ratified the Convention in 2015 and 2019 respectively, Tonga is helping to build a stronger regional foundation for international cooperation on cultural policy and creative economy development. It opens new opportunities for peer-learning, South-South cooperation and knowledge exchange, while supporting the integration of culture into national sustainable development agendas.
As the United Nations agency with the mandate for culture, UNESCO stands ready to support Tonga in implementing the Convention through policy advice, technical assistance and capacity development.
UNESCO expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga for its leadership and commitment in advancing culture as a pillar of sustainable development through the ratification of the 2005 Convention. This important milestone demonstrates Tonga’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment where cultural diversity can thrive and where artists, cultural professionals, creative entrepreneurs and cultural institutions can continue to contribute to the country’s social, cultural and economic development. UNESCO also pays tribute to Tonga’s vibrant cultural community, whose talent, innovation and stewardship of cultural traditions continue to enrich Tongan society and strengthen the Pacific’s diverse and resilient cultural landscape
Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, Director of the Regional Office and UNESCO Representative to the Pacific States.
Tonga’s ratification represents not only a significant national milestone but also an important step towards a more connected, inclusive and culturally vibrant Pacific region. By investing in creativity, strengthening cultural governance and empowering cultural practitioners, the region is well positioned to harness the transformative power of culture for sustainable development, social inclusion and future generations.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/tonga-strengthens-its-commitment-cultural-diversity-ratifying-unesco-2005-convention?hub=701
