BRICS Culture Ministers’ meet adopts Bhopal Declaration to boost cultural cooperation; focuses on creators’ networking
BRICS Culture Ministers have adopted the 'Bhopal Declaration' to enhance cultural cooperation and institutional frameworks among member nations. The agreement focuses on creative economies, AI-enabled provenance research, and collaborative efforts for UNESCO heritage nominations.
Why it matters
This declaration establishes a formal roadmap for international cultural exchange and sets new standards for the use of AI in protecting intellectual property and heritage.
The BRICS Culture Ministers’ meet on Saturday (August 8, 2026) adopted the ‘Bhopal Declaration’ aimed at strengthening the institutional framework for cultural cooperation among the member and partner nations, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.
Addressing media persons in Bhopal, Mr. Shekhawat said that the declaration also provides for enhanced cooperation on provenance research and the return and restitution of cultural property, including exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tracing tools.
“A key outcome was the adoption of the Bhopal Declaration. Its main aim is to strengthen the institutional framework for BRICS cultural cooperation and provide a shared roadmap covering a wide range of contemporary and traditional areas of culture and heritage,” Mr. Shekhawat said, after the meeting under India’s presidency.
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