Under India’s G20 presidency, the 2nd Culture Working Group meeting scheduled from 14 May to 17 May began in Bhubaneswar (Odisha). On May 14, Padma Shri awardee Sudarshan Patnaik displayed an exquisite sand artwork on the theme ‘Culture Unites All’ at Puri Beach in Odisha. It was inaugurated by Culture and Tourism Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy and Minister of Statefor Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal.The third Culture Working Group meeting will be held in Hampi on 15-18 July 2023 and the Culture Ministers meeting is scheduled to be held in Varanasi in August end.
Union Tourism and Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy, and the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityananda Rai gave an address during the meeting. The meeting held deliberations on the priority theme of the CWG and the drafting and finalization of the G20 Culture Ministers’ Declaration. This meeting witnessed participation from G20 members, guest nations, and representatives of several international organizations.
The meeting saw extensive deliberations on the priority theme of the Culture Working Group, wherein, delegates discussed ways the G20 can strengthen the global commitment to prevent illicit trafficking and facilitate the return and restoration of cultural property. The way forward on the drafting and finalization of the G20 Culture Ministers’ Declaration was also discussed during the meeting.After the meeting, Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the exhibition titled ‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’ at the Odisha Crafts Museum.
