We, the Ministers for Culture and Heads of Delegations in the Nordic and Baltic countries and Ukraine, invited to the informal meeting of Ministers of Culture in Tallinn on 7 October under Estonia’s NB8 Chairmanship and the Danish and Faroese Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, have agreed on the following Declaration:
In the Nordic and Baltic countries and in Ukraine, generations have carried languages, stories and traditions through times of change. Our histories are distinct, yet they have shaped a shared space of freedom, openness, trust and human dignity.
Culture is where our history comes alive, and where our future begins. It carries our languages, our memories and our stories from one generation to the next. It gives meaning to belonging, creates a space for different voices to meet and helps us understand one another. Culture does not merely reflect the values of democratic societies. It helps carry them forward.
For our nations and languages, this has particular meaning. Our strength is not measured only in numbers, but in our ability to preserve what makes each of our cultures distinct while remaining open to one another. What is small in numbers can be immense in meaning.
Today, our cultures and cultural heritage are being reshaped by war and profound technological change. Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, its attacks on cultural heritage and institutions, and its efforts to erase Ukraine’s cultural identity and historical memory have shown how deeply culture, identity and memory are intertwined with freedom and security. Artificial intelligence is changing how culture is created, shared and remembered. Safeguarding cultural heritage and ensuring the continuity of cultural life are essential to maintaining a sense of belonging, supporting the well-being of communities and enabling recovery. We must therefore protect what has been entrusted to us while ensuring that our cultures remain living, open and free.
In this spirit, we:
- Commit to promoting cultural preparedness and continuity. Building on the Nordic-Baltic ministerial declaration on the role of culture and cultural heritage for democratic and resilient societies, we will deepen knowledge-sharing and cross-border cooperation, including in digital preservation, so that cultural heritage and cultural life can endure through crisis and war;
- Believe that artificial intelligence should not diminish human creativity. We will protect and promote artistic freedom, support fair conditions for creators, including respect for copyright,and seek to ensure that our languages remain alive and visible in the digital future;
- Stand with Ukraine in defending its sovereignty, culture and identity. Recognising the courage and commitment of Ukraine’s authorities and cultural communities in sustaining cultural life and safeguarding heritage and memory during wartime, and building on the experience gained through cooperation with and support for our Ukrainian partners, we will strengthen our joint efforts to safeguard culture and support recovery;
Look to the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2027 in Tallinn as an opportunity to place culture at the heart of recovery.
From Tallinn, we reaffirm our commitment to keeping our cultures thriving and confident, our societies open and our creativity free. For what we carry from one generation to the next is more than memory. It is the possibility of a future.
Signed by the countries attending the meeting:
Estonia
Denmark
Faroe Islands
Norway
Finland
Åland Islands
Iceland
Lithuania
Latvia
Sweden
Ukraine
