Role of culture in development

Mr Chairman

Fellow Ministers and Excellencies

1. Culture is increasingly recognised as an important pillar of development. In recent years, it has moved higher on the agenda of governments and international organisations alike. As members around the table have noted, culture is also now a key driver of economic growth, with tourism, cultural and creative industries representing some of the most rapidly expanding sectors in the global economy.
   

2. Beyond its economic benefits, culture is important in its own right. It binds us together, and expresses who we are. I am pleased to note that ASEAN and UNESCO have just concluded a Framework Agreement for Cooperation in December last year. This paves the way for ASEAN to play our part as a responsible member of the international community, and for culture to take on a more important role in ASEAN's sustainable development.

3. Culture is important at different levels, as members already highlighted earlier. At the individual level, culture is a channel for personal expression. How we speak, the memories we share, how we depict and interpret the world through art – all these give us a vocabulary by which we understand ourselves, and our place in the world. This is why Singapore continues to invest heavily in making arts and culture an integral part of the lives of all Singaporeans. I am sure that all our fellow ASEAN states, and their citizens, are likewise proud of their unique cultures and identities.

4. At the inter-personal level, culture has the power to bridge differences and communities. As a multi-racial and multi-religious society, we understand this very well. It is important to us that each cultural group has the space in which to practise their own beliefs and way of life. At the same time it is equally if not more important that the different groups understand and engage one another and forge closer links across the different communities. This is why at the transnational level, culture is critical to fostering an ASEAN identity. ASEAN as a region is not monolithic; we are diverse. Through our differences, we learn to value each other's cultures and turn our differences into strengths. Then we can forge an ASEAN culture which is richer than the sum of its parts.
   

5. I think this process must start from young. I mentioned earlier at the Opening of this Meeting that last year, Singapore organised the 2013 ASEAN Youth Camp. The Camp took the theme, “In Celebration: ASEAN Youth Unite”. Indeed, our 39 young artists answered the call to unite, through the items that they worked on as a team. One of the dance experts who was a mentor at the youth camp, gave us an insight into what underpins this unity. He said: “Putting different cultural dances into one performance is a challenge, but a key ingredient is the mutual respect and understanding for the different cultures and techniques.” I think this captures the essence of what we were trying to achieve by bringing the youths from different countries together.
   

6. Through their dance performance, our ASEAN youths have provided us with an apt metaphor for culture as a source of innovation, creativity, and unity in diversity. So I am glad that the Hue declaration has outlined the importance of creating opportunities and platforms for ASEAN cultures to be interpreted and reinterpreted, “to create new cultural products and expressions”.
   

7. Even as we look to our youth, and toward developing new creative and cultural expressions, we should not forget the past: our heritage and traditions. How we preserve our cultural heritage is an important priority.

8. In this regard, I am pleased to share that Singapore's National Heritage Board will be organising an ASEAN capacity-building conference called “The Future of Preservation” in September this year. The Conference will be co-branded with ASEAN, UNESCO and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). Through the Conference, we hope to promote awareness of heritage preservation and invite experts who will share best practices in preserving built heritage. One question the Conference will tackle is how we can seek sustainable ways to protect a city's historical and cultural legacy while keeping pace with the dynamics of change. I welcome fellow ASEAN member states and Dialogue Partners to join us in Singapore for the Conference that will be in September this year.

9. Excellencies, making culture an integral part of sustainable development, and building lasting relationships among our peoples of ASEAN – this must be at the heart of what we do.

10. 2015 is an important occasion for ASEAN. It is also an important milestone for Singapore as we celebrate our Golden Jubilee to mark Singapore's 50th year of independence. We are going to be hosting the SEA Games in June and the ASEAN Para Games in December, and as I mentioned, the opening of the National Gallery will be in 2015. We are also putting up the Singapore Botanic Gardens as a World Heritage Site bid, for which I look forward to the support of our ASEAN colleagues. With our focused efforts, I am confident that we can realise our mission of the ASEAN community in 2015.
    

11. Thank you.