European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica, in a video message to the European Heritage Policy Agora 2026 on 26 June 2026, urged the integration of cultural heritage into climate action and regional cooperation, framing it as a strategic resource for the Mediterranean's future. The message, delivered in absentia due to institutional obligations, stressed that heritage is not a luxury of the past but a tool for building resilient societies and fostering mutual understanding.
Šuica anchored her call in the Pact for the Mediterranean and its Action Plan, which recognises culture and heritage as essential pillars for regional cooperation. She argued that heritage can serve as a bridge to restore trust, promote reconciliation, and reinforce shared responsibility in a region facing geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, environmental degradation, and climate change. The Commissioner linked heritage directly to sustainability, noting that coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and biodiversity loss threaten both ecosystems and cultural landscapes, historic sites, and living traditions that define Mediterranean identity.
She advocated for fully integrating cultural heritage into climate action and green transformation policies, strengthening Euro-Mediterranean partnerships, supporting digital innovation in heritage preservation, and empowering young people and local communities through skills, creativity, and cultural cooperation. The speech did not contain concrete proposals, measurable objectives, numerical targets, new institutional structures, deadlines, or budget numbers, remaining at the level of declarative support and calls for action.
Šuica highlighted Cyprus as a meaningful setting for the discussion, noting its history reflects both the pain of division and the enduring hope for reconciliation. She described heritage as a powerful instrument for peace-building, dialogue, sustainable tourism, and job creation for all generations. The speech's policy orientation is conciliatory and cooperative, emphasising shared heritage as a force for peace, resilience, sustainability, and human connection across the Mediterranean, without shifting toward a more assertive or demanding approach toward third countries.