UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions enter ed into force on 18 March. To date, 52 States have ratified the Convention. In an unprecedented event, the European Union adhered to the convention as a regional organization of economic integration. The Convention aims to reinforce the links between culture, sustainable development and dialogue. It reaffirms respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, equal dignity of cultures, equitable access and openness of cultures to the world. It establishes the sovereign right of States to elaborate cultural policies with a view “to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions” and recognizes the distinctive nature of cultural goods and services as “vehicles of identity, values and meaning”. It thus intends “to create the conditions for cultures to flourish and to freely interact in a mutually beneficial manner.”
In order to encourage international cultural cooperation, it places international solidarity at the heart of its action and calls for the creation of a voluntary International Fund for Cultural Diversity. Furthermore, each party acknowledges the fundamental role of civil society and pledges to encourage its active participation. With the Convention’s entry into force, UNESCO now disposes of a comprehensive set of standard-setting instruments, comprising seven conventions which cover cultural diversity in all of its manifestations, especially the two pillars of culture: heritage – tangible and intangible – and contemporary creativity.
