BVI at UNESCO Mondiacult 2025
The Virgin Islands was represented at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025) in Barcelona, Spain, from 29 September to 1 October 2025 by Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism Honourable Luce Hodge-Smith. Government releases and local reporting say she took part in two panels—Culture and Education, and Culture and Peace—reiterating the Territory’s commitment to integrate culture into education, youth initiatives, heritage preservation and sustainable development.
The Virgin Islands was represented at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development—MONDIACULT 2025—by Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism, Honourable Luce Hodge-Smith. The global forum took place in Barcelona, Spain, from 29 September to 1 October 2025, and brought together ministers of culture and senior cultural policymakers from around the world (Government of the Virgin Islands; reported by Virgin Islands News Online).
At the conference, delegates discussed strategies for integrating culture into sustainable development, education and international peacebuilding initiatives. According to VINO’s report, MONDIACULT served as a platform for sharing policy ideas, best practices and potential partnerships that link culture to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Honourable Hodge-Smith contributed to two panel discussions: Culture and Education, and Culture and Peace. On the Culture and Education panel she highlighted how cultural heritage, the creative industries and the education system can work together to empower young people, promote inclusive lifelong learning and expand opportunities in the creative economy.
On the Culture and Peace panel she emphasised the role of cultural exchange, dialogue and preservation in building resilient and harmonious societies (Government of the Virgin Islands; VINO). In a Government Information Service (GIS) press release quoted by VINO, the Junior Minister said: "The discussions reaffirmed that culture is not only about preserving traditions but about shaping the future through creativity, learning, and unity." The statement underlined the Territory’s view that culture must be forward-looking as well as protective of heritage.
For residents of the Virgin Islands, participation at MONDIACULT signals practical priorities at home: integrating cultural education into the national curriculum; expanding support for creative youth initiatives; preserving intangible heritage such as oral histories and traditional crafts; and promoting local arts as part of the tourism offering.
These priorities aim to strengthen community engagement, create livelihoods in the creative sector and enhance cultural diplomacy that can attract partnerships and funding (Government of the Virgin Islands; VINO). The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development oversees efforts to preserve cultural heritage while promoting sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship.
The Territory’s engagement at MONDIACULT also aligns with its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and continued cooperation with UNESCO, the government noted. By taking the BVI voice to international policy discussions, the Junior Minister sought both to learn from global best practice and raise the profile of local culture on the world stage, with the goal of turning international ideas into concrete programmes that benefit communities across the islands.
What’s new in this update: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) confirmed the delegation’s participation in Barcelona and cited the GIS press release containing the Junior Minister’s quoted remarks, adding an independent local media report to the Government’s release.
Primary source: BVI Government