"We citizens have gathered together, over the last 141 days, to see, to debate, to listen, to create, to enjoy, to dissent and to decide on things that matter to us, presenting proposals and initiatives, adopting agreements and commitments, signing manifestos and declarations, devising specific projects to promote peace, more sustainable development and cultural diversity.

We value the Universal Forum of Cultures - Barcelona 2004 as a new opportunity to find out about and take part in resolving the problems of the world we live in, as an experience for us to discover, through events and dialogue, new fields of knowledge and action to bring about a better world."

(The Barcelona Commitment, presented at the closing ceremony of the first Forum, on 26 September 2004).

In a 40-hectare enclosure, attracted by more than 3.3 million visits, the common language was music, dance, theatre, cinema, workshops, games, exhibitions, ideas and good practices. In 2004 Barcelona experienced a unique cultural summer and its citizens unveiled an urban renewal project the likes of which had never been seen before: a waste water treatment plant, a refuse incinerator and a deprived neighbourhood were redeveloped to create a sustainable public space, with new beaches and infrastructures, at the service of cultural encounter.