Senegalese Babylass Ndiaye, president of Arterial Network, the pan-African civil society network for culture, will represent Senegal at two major international cultural diplomacy events to be held in Barcelona.

Arterial Network at the UCLG Culture Summit: "Culture, SDGs and Cities (Barcelona)"

In Spain, Mr. Ndiaye is taking part in the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Culture Summit, the leading global platform for cities, metropolises, and regions on cultural policies. The summit, themed "Culture, SDGs, and Cities," will highlight the essential role of local cultural actors and civil society networks in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

The presence of Arterial Network aims to give voice to African creators and cultural organizations and to share the continent's best practices in integrating culture into local development strategies.

UNESCO Conference of Ministers of Culture (29 September - 1 October 2025, Paris)

Immediately following the cultural summit, Mr. Ndiaye will participate in the UNESCO Conference of Ministers of Culture (MONDIACULT 2025). This high-level intergovernmental meeting is a crucial moment for defining global cultural policy priorities.

Arterial Network will defend the importance of strengthening legislative and financial frameworks in favor of the diversity of cultural expressions, the protection of heritage and the place of cultural and creative industries in African economies.

Official Side-Event “Objectif Culture 2030”

On the sidelines of these major events, Arterial Network, as an active member of the campaign, will be present at the official Side-Event “Objectif Culture 2030”, on September 29 at 6:15 p.m. at the CCIB (Barcelona International Convention Center), Room 1. This side event constitutes a space for strategic dialogue to take stock of the integration of culture in the SDGs and mobilize stakeholders around concrete commitments.

The network's participation in this roundtable underlines its leadership and long-standing commitment to ensuring that culture is recognized as a cross-cutting objective in the sustainable development agenda.

In this dynamic, Babylas Ndiaye and Arterial Network have the support of the State of Senegal, through Hugues Diaz, Director of Arts at the Ministry of Culture of Senegal.

Arterial Network continues its cultural advocacy in the 31 African countries that have representations of the pan-African network. For example, Mali has lent its support to the campaign through an official letter from Minister Mamou Daffé...

As a reminder, Arterial Network is a dynamic network of artists, cultural organizations, activists, and creative entrepreneurs across the African continent. Its mission is to stimulate the African creative and cultural sector to play a central role in the sustainable democratic, social, and economic development of the continent.

Through advocacy, research, training, and networking, Arterial Network works to create an environment conducive to African creativity. The pan-African network's local governance consists of Babylas Ndiaye, President from Senegal; Stephanie Kapfunde, Vice President from Zimbabwe; and Manasse Nguinambaye, Treasurer from Chad.

The Pan-African Network will organize a conference on the African creative economy from October 30 to November 2 in Zagora and M'hamid el Ghizlane in Morocco during the Taragalte festival organized by the president of Arterial Network in Morocco, Ibrahim Sbai.