The Fórum Cultural Mundial São Paulo [World Cutural Forum São Paulo] will offer a global platform to reflect and discuss the state of arts and culture in a changing world, aiming to offer new forms of international cooperation.

What is the role of arts in society, the artist's importance in today's world, how much money is left for culture, what are the needs and endowments for the upbringing of culture? Does globalization lead to a crisis of the arts or is such a crisis just a result of worldwide economic recession? Does globalization destroy cultural diversity or conversely make diversity stronger thanks to exposure? These are just some of the issues, which will be discussed at the Fórum Cultural Mundial São Paulo.

Arts and culture play a key role in economic development, creating new educational parameters, alleviating conflicts, and promoting a more peaceful coexistence between different people and cultures. They stimulate innovation, creativity and diversity; generate new ideas, technologies and solutions for all kind of human needs.

By putting arts and culture at the core of the discussions and agendas, the Fórum Cultural Mundial São Paulo intends to establish a global platform in order to strengthen ethical values, promote prosperity, sustainable development, human rights and a peaceful global coexistence. The Forum will promote the extension of the role of culture and arts in national and international policies, the increase of investments in the cultural sector, mobilizing support for the development of cultural activities. In times when support for culture and arts is cut down and minimized almost all over the world, the Fórum Cultural Mundial São Paulo will act as a global platform to defend culture and arts and promote new ideas and ways of creating, producing and distributing them.

The Fórum Cultural Mundial Brazil 2004 will have three major elements:

- A global convention in the form of an 5-days symposium about the most important issues, questions, themes, goals and objectives of culture and arts today;
- A festival with an international artistic program;
- A cultural market of ideas and opportunities.

The Fórum Cultural Mundial São Paulo will have special geopolitical and cultural focus on:

- The Southern Hemisphere in general
- Brazil and Latin-America
- Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Regions
- Mediterranean Region and the Middle-East