Abstract

     This research analyzes the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Andorran cultural policy. The article contributes to the academic field of cultural sustainability and cultural policy, applying a mixed method on a country’s case study. A content analysis of the White Paper on Culture, a survey addressed to the main Andorran cultural policymakers and a semi-structured interview with the Andorran Minister of Culture have been performed. A new model of analyzing the extent to which cultural policies comply with SDGs in cultural policies is proposed, with the aim that it might be implemented in other countries. The results show that, despite the fact that SDGs are not yet explicitly mentioned in Andorran cultural policy, experts aim to promote the UN 2030 Sustainable Agenda as a priority nationwide. The novelty of this research rests on the use of Sustainable Development Goals’ indicators as a code of analysis and as a specific perspective and new approach to evaluating the alignment of cultural sustainability and cultural policies to the UN 2030 Sustainable Agenda.

Introduction

     In 2015 the United Nations adopted and promoted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations 2016). Since then, policymakers from all around the world are committed to work for the implementation of this new and demanding paradigm based on a sustainable and responsible development (Turner 2017). The concept of ‘Sustainable Development’ was defined as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (Brundtland et al. 1987). The UN 2030 Agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (hereinafter SDGs) organized into three pillars: economic, environmental, and social (United Nations 2016).

     Currently, the UNESCO considers that culture is a cross-cutting dimension in relationship with sustainable development (hereinafter SD). Culture is considered a driver and a facilitator for SD (UNESCO 2019; Wiktor-Mach 2020), nevertheless, in the 2030 Agenda, culture has a low profile with a limited impact (Duxbury, Kangas, and De Beukelaer 2017; Erlewein 2017; Throsby 2017; Turner 2017).

Conclusions GIORGIA

     The main goal of this research is to analyze the SDGs implementation degree in the Andorran cultural policy. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the dimension of cultural sustainability in the Andorran cultural policy and identifies future strategies in terms of culture and sustainable development. According to the research’s results, the Andorran government highly support the UN 2030 Sustainable Agenda (D’Andorra 2019) and considers culture sustainability as a key dimension to improve the country’s sustainable development (D’Andorra 2021). Nevertheless, the SDGs are not explicitly mentioned in the Andorran cultural policy, even if experts consider them a relevant roadmap for the cultural sustainability strategy’s definition.

     Despite the lack of direct reference to the UN SDGs, the Andorran cultural policies highlighted several topics included in the UN 2030 Sustainable Agenda. Culture contributes to the sustainable development through the safeguard of the natural heritage. Culture is a driver for social cohesion and education focused on cultural sustainability is a key factor for future generations. Enhance the impact of culture in the improvement of working conditions, specifically for women in the tourism industry, and for the collective and individual economic growth is one of the main challenges for the Andorran policymakers. Besides, culture is considered as a pillar to convert the unsustainable seasonal mass sky tourism practice into a more environmentally and socially sustainable tourism.