S'pore can be window to S-E Asian heritage, culture: Edwin Tong

The Republic has much to learn from how the French use arts and culture for the betterment of society, but it can also be a unique window for France into South-east Asian heritage and culture, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said on Wednesday.

He met his French counterpart Roselyne Bachelot on Tuesday on the sidelines of Unesco's 41st general conference in Paris, and said they both looked forward to the resumption of exchanges and collaborations between artists and practitioners in both countries.

"We had a lively debate about our respective cultures and heritage, and exchanged insights on how they are appreciated and managed," Mr Tong said in a Facebook post. "We discussed our common priority to preserve heritage through harnessing technology and innovation.

"(Ms Bachelot and I) assumed our respective culture portfolios in July last year at the height of the (Covid-19) crisis, which continues to grip and challenge the arts sector. So naturally, our conversation gravitated to exchanging ideas on how each of our governments continues to support the arts."

The meeting came ahead of Mr Tong's national statement yesterday to international delegates at the Unesco general conference, where he said the United Nations cultural agency's work is more critical than ever amid the pandemic.

"Unesco's work in promoting education, science, information and culture for sustainable development is even more relevant than ever," he said, citing disrupted lives, communities and businesses around the world.

"Singapore hopes to work with all of you to strengthen Unesco, so that we can overcome these challenges and build a more peaceful and sustainable world."

Unesco is marking its 75th anniversary this year, and all eyes are on the adoption of its final draft for the recommendations on the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), a discussion that Singapore is participating in.

Former French culture minister Audrey Azoulay was re-elected as Unesco director-general for a second mandate, as she hopes to woo back the United States and Israel, which left in 2018 after accusing the agency of anti-Israel bias.

Mr Tong did not directly address this but said the resounding support for Ms Azoulay is testament to her "steady leadership" over the last four years.

After congratulating the organisation for its achievements in building peace since World War II, he said Singapore supports Unesco's efforts to forge an international consensus on AI. "Singapore has adopted a balanced and pragmatic approach to facilitate innovation and industry development, while ensuring user protection," he said. "We look forward to deeper collaborations with Unesco in our collective efforts to promote responsible AI research and use."

Unesco was founded to promote world peace through softer, more non-conventional means, and Singapore has sought to raise its engagement in recent years.

Last year, the Republic's campaign to get hawker culture inscribed on the Unesco intangible heritage list was accepted.

Mr Tong said Singapore will also make sure the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the country's first world heritage site, continues to be preserved and remain an important site for education and research.