During the 21st Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, UNESCO reinforced its commitment to placing culture at the heart of sustainable development through two parallel sessions that explored the potential of living heritage education and artistic collaboration. Held from 24 to 26 June in Jeju in the Republic of Korea under the theme “Reinventing Cooperation in a Fragmented World”, the Forum brought together political leaders from multiple countries and representatives from the international organizations, academia, and business sector. The Forum addressed a broad spectrum of issues, including politics, economy, culture, and education.
On 25 June, UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia (UNESCO Beijing) contributed to a session organized by the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP) on “Living Heritage, Sustainable Futures: ICH-Based Education and Global Cooperation.” Duong Bich Hanh, Chief of Culture at UNESCO Beijing Office, delivered a presentation on “learning through living heritage.” She underscored how integrating living heritage into education can foster global citizenship and cultural understanding, thereby equipping young people with the skills and values to navigate a rapidly changing environment. Speakers shared examples and experiences in integrating living heritage into teaching and learning practices, viewing heritage education as a significant contributor to the achievement of quality education and cross-cultural communication and understanding.
On 26 June, UNESCO Beijing Office co-hosted a parallel session with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province titled “Global Co-Creation: Artistic Response to Climate Emergency.” This session marked the first international program under “Je-Create: Culture and Innovation for a Sustainable Future” – a new initiative by Jeju and UNESCO to advance culture’s role for sustainable development. Moderated by Yunheng Zeng of UNESCO Beijing, the session brought together representatives from organizations committed to advancing arts and climate action, including Creative Climate (Australia), Dhara (India), Bangkok 1899 (Thailand), JusPeace Foundation as well as an independent visual artist from the Republic of Korea. They shared projects demonstrating how artistic practices can move beyond expression to become a powerful force for climate action.
During the panel discussion, speakers addressed the emotional power of art, the challenge of sustaining creative spaces and projects, and the urgent need for equitable international cooperation and artist exchange.
Through such engagements, UNESCO continues to place culture at the heart of sustainable development – strengthening living heritage education, promoting artistic responses to climate action, and empowering young people to share more sustainable futures.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-champions-living-heritage-and-arts-sustainable-development-jeju-forum-2026?hub=701
