Rome, 29 July 2021 (dpa/MIA) — At the meeting of culture ministers of the 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries (G20), German Minister of State Michelle Muentefering called for a guarantee for the freedom of the arts. The arts are a lifeblood of democracies, said the minister of state for Germany's international cultural policy at the start of the meeting in Rome on Thursday. The guarantee is created, for example, through secure working conditions or by supporting the economic existence of artists, she said. On Thursday and Friday, the G20 culture ministers and representatives of organizations want to discuss, among other things, the protection of cultural heritage, digital change and the influence of climate change on the cultural sector. According to the Italian Ministry of Culture, there should be a joint declaration at the end. Italy currently holds the G20 presidency. One topic will also be the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the cultural sector. "The pandemic has shown how crucial the cultural and creative sector is, not only for the economy, but also for the social and psychological well-being of our societies," Muentefering continued. At the meeting, the center-left politician plans to present two programs from Germany. One, she said, links scientific institutions in the field of cultural preservation internationally. The second program is a mechanism for saving cultural assets in the event of a disaster. This is intended to provide rapid support in such a case in order to save objects or buildings.