Culture as a tool for development emerged from the concept of human development which arose in the nineties. Thanks to this new concept, the quantitative vision of development within cultures was complemented and enriched by a qualitative vision which expanded the definition of the concept though the inclusion of the cultural element. The Spanish cooperation organisation was a pioneer in this area. The Second (2005-2008) and Third (2009-2012) Master Plans introduced culture as an essential component of development policies. The current 4th Master Plan ( 2013-2016) expressly states that “Supported
by lessons learned through its Culture and Development Strategy and the work
of embassies and external cooperation units, especially cultural centres, Spanish cooperation will promote respect for cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and freedom of expression and creation, and encourage everyone's effective participation in cultural activities.” Within AECID, the Directorate of Cultural and Scientific Relations is responsible for promoting, managing and implementing the public policies on cultural cooperation set by two main programmes:
