Culture and sustainable development A/RES/72/229 and nations, empowering them to play an active and unique role in development initiatives, Recognizing the importance of multilingualism as a means of promoting, protecting and preserving the diversity of languages and cultures globally and that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international understanding, and recognizing also the importance for the peoples of the world to communicate in their own language, Recalling the concerns expressed in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 7 on the underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions in the area of culture, which has prevented women from having a significant impact in the area of culture and development, Recalling also the importance of the promotion of national cultures, artistic creation in all its forms and international and regional cultural cooperation, and reaffirming in this regard the relevance of strengthening national efforts and regional and international cooperation mechanisms for cultural action and artistic creation and recognizing respect for cultural pluralism, as defined by the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, as policies for the inclusion and participation of all citizens that guarantee social cohesion and the vitality of civil society and peace, enhance cultural development and contribute to sustainable development, Recognizing the linkages between cultural and biological diversity and the positive contribution of local and indigenous traditional knowledge in addressing environmental challenges in a sustainable manner, Recalling the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, 8 and acknowledging that, in many regions, forests have important cultural and spiritual value, Taking note of the declaration adopted in Florence, Italy, on 4 October 2014, at the third United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Worl d Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries, the Hangzhou outcomes, adopted at the conference on the theme “Culture for sustainable cities”, held in Hangzhou, China, from 10 to 12 December 2015, the Bali Declaration, adopted at the second World Culture Forum, held in Bali, Indonesia, from 10 to 14 October 2016, the global report on culture for sustainable urban development of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, entitled Culture: Urban Future, of October 2016, which placed culture at the heart of an integrated, place -based and innovative approach to working towards inclusive, people-centred and culturally sensitive urban development, and the new strategy for the integration of culture and crea tivity in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the eleventh annual meeting of the Creative Cities Network, held in Enghien -les-Bains, France, from 30 June to 2 July 2017, Reiterating the pledge that no one will be left behind, reaffirming the recognition that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, and the wish to see the Goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society, and recommitting to endeavour to reach the furthest be hind first, Recommitting to ensuring that no country or person is left behind and to focusing our effort where the challenges are greatest, including by ensuring the inclusion and participation of those who are furthest behind, __________________ 7 8 17-23306 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II. See resolution 71/285. 3/7