There is an important
political dimension to the issue of cultural diversity. As a civil society advocacy organization,
the INCD must have an active relationship with the intergovernmental
institutions that can affect cultural issues and those that have a direct
interest in the proposed Convention on Cultural Diversity. The challenge for the INCD is to understand
the role and position of each institution and to develop an appropriate
relationship that can allow it to exert maximum influence.
International Network for Cultural Policy (INCP) - www.incp-ripc.org
The INCP, a network of 53
culture ministers founded in 1998, has been at the forefront of the Convention
campaign. It was the work of a number
of these ministers at a meeting in Paris in February 2003 that led to UNESCO’s
decision to consider taking on the task of elaborating the terms of a
legally-binding instrument.
So far, the INCD has held
its four annual meetings in conjunction with meetings of the INCP, which
provides an excellent opportunity for dialogue with the ministers of culture.
The case of the INCD and the INCP is a good example of a partnership that has
allowed for the exchange and the development of policy concepts, most notably
the proposed Convention for Cultural Diversity. The financial and logistical support of the INCP through the
Department of Canadian Heritage, other INCP members and the annual meeting
hosts, is vital for the INCD, and we must continue this fruitful exchange.
However, the INCD must
assess key issues including:
UNESCO
– www.unesco.org
Founded in 1945 on the
principle of "advancing, through the educational, scientific and cultural relations of
the peoples of the world, the objectives of peace and the common welfare of
mankind", UNESCO’s focus on culture and development went
through several phases before its benchmark declaration of a Decade for Culture
and Development in the eighties. Since
its inception, UNESCO has emphasized the importance of intercultural
dialogue. But the world to which it addressed
this idea in the forties, was much different from the one today. Throughout these five decades of drastic
global political, economic and cultural changes, UNESCO has advocated cultural
policies to protect the two mandates of the declaration of the principles of
international cultural cooperation: “each culture has a dignity and value which
must be respected and preserved"; and "every people has the right and
duty to develop its culture.”
UNESCO's role in the
promotion of cultural diversity has, since the Decade for Culture and
Development, brought this debate to the forefront of its cultural action plan
and paved the way for the potential adoption of a legally-binding instrument
for cultural diversity. The most
important document so far adopted on cultural diversity is UNESCO’s 2001 Universal
Declaration on Cultural Diversity.
(http://www.unesco.org/culture/pluralism/diversity/html_eng/decl_en.shtml)
This year’s General
Conference will consider a proposal to move towards adoption of a legally-binding
Convention on Cultural Diversity.
INCD’s strategy has been to work to achieve this outcome through
National Commissions and direct contact with the UNESCO Secretariat. The INCD has requested to establish
official relations with UNESCO and we hope to receive a positive answer in due
time.
While focusing on supporting and pushing UNESCO towards adopting a
Convention on Cultural Diversity, the INCD will also explore other options:
- what if UNESCO fails to adopt the fundamental principles of a
Convention required to make it effective?
- what will happen if a UNESCO-led process of adopting and ratifying the Convention drags on for many years/decades and thus cannot affect significant change?
WTO - www.wto.org
Created in 1995 at the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is the international vehicle for trade negotiation among nations. It is a “member-driven” organization, meaning that all of its decisions and rules are approved by each of the 144 member states. Its website states the goal of the WTO: “to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.”
Many INCD members see the WTO as the main “enemy” in our quest for the
preservation and promotion of cultural diversity, because it places constraints
on government actions that favour cultural diversity. The greatest threat comes from the GATS (the General Agreement on
Trade in Services), since all forms of artistic expression are services as
defined by GATS, and the TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights), since rules on copyright can play a significant role in the trade of
films, television shows, music, books and magazines. Rules that seek to open markets and remove “barriers” to free
trade, can lead to unequal cultural trade and unbalanced cultural exchange.
The INCD is officially recognized by the WTO and the INCD coordinator attends ministerial meetings and meets with WTO secretariat members. The INCD encourages its members to contact their trade ministers and WTO representatives to ensure constant exchange of information about developments. The INCD continues to work to ensure that trade negotiators do not make agreements that will further constrain the right of countries to implement measures favouring cultural diversity. Further information on the impact of trade agreements on culture is available of the INCD website.
The discussion at the fourth
INCD annual conference in Opatija should identify a strategic approach to the
WTO:
-
the INCD should agree on how to deal with the shift in
focus of the world trading system to bilateral and regional free trade
agreements. (i.e. the ongoing
negotiations between the U.S. and Australia, countries in Central America and
the members of the Southern African Customs Union, and the Free Trade Area of
the Americas.)
-
should the INCD seek to develop partnership with the
WTO or follow some other civil society organizations that participate in
protesting against the direction that the WTO has been following?
UNCTAD – www.unctad.org
UNCTAD (UN Commission for
Trade and Development) is the focal point within the UN for the integrated treatment
of trade and development and the interrelated issues in the areas of finance,
technology, investment and sustainable development. It seeks the successful integration of all countries,
most specifically developing ones, in trade and policy issues.
As UNCTAD has expressed interest in looking closer into the cultural diversity issues, the INCD needs to explore a possible partnership and the role of UNCTAD in the process of developing the Convention on Cultural Diversity.
Since the INCD strongly advocates
action, it is also important to explore other ways to cooperate since UNCTAD is
also concerned about the development of cultural capacity, which remains one of
the INCD’s priorities in developing world.
WIPO
– www.wipo.org
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is an
organization working to ensure that the rights of artists, inventors, designers
and authors are protected throughout the world. Since the Paris Convention of 1883, WIPO has remained ddicated to
the rights of creators at home and abroad, promoting a stable environment for
intellectual property.
The agenda of the WIPO today
is to further develop the intellectual property model by focusing on the
relationship between “creative potential” and sustainable development. The INCD will continue to follow the work of
WIPO as this position develops. WIPO
states, “the vision permeating (our) mission and mandate is the relevance of
intellectual property and of WIPO to the welfare of humanity. As the primary custodian of international
copyright laws, WIPO could do more to advance the cultural diversity agenda as
a counterbalance to the WTO.
One of the founding principles of the INCD concerns the vulnerability of indigenous cultures and languages. As WIPO is presently working on mechanisms to protect Traditional Knowledge, the agency could become more important for the cultural diversity file.
THE WORLD BANK – www.worldbank.org
The World Bank is composed
of five organizations: IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA and ICSID and is primarily
interested in development projects and capacity building with the aim to fight
poverty and promote equitable development.
The World Bank’s Headquarters is in Washington with more than 100
offices around the world.
The World Bank acknowledges that the cultural dimension has been
neglected in many of its development projects during the last decade. It has thus begun to explore the cultural
dimension of development through conferences and reports.
In a June 2003 speech, James Wolfensohn, President said that the World
Bank wants to have comprehensive development plans that will encompass
education and health, infrastructure and environment as well as the protection of
culture and the protection of the values of people in the society.
In its work to promote cultural capacity, the INCD should press the World Bank to make sure the cultural dimension is incorporated into its projects. The World Bank should also be a target/partner in INCD’s efforts to find mechanisms to assess the cultural impact of development projects.
Organisation
Internationale de la Francophonie - www.francophonie.org
This organization of
51 member states has issued several statements on the importance of cultural
diversity. The June 2001 Ministerial Conference on Culture held in Benin
issued a Declaration that acknowledged the importance of preserving and
promoting cultural diversity in light of the liberalization of trade, and
highlighted the role of UNESCO which should take the lead in discussing
possible instruments. (http://confculture.francophonie.org).
Some argue that Francophonie
could play an even more significant role in the cultural diversity debate since
it brings together Heads of State and thus might have a strong impact on
international organizations, particularly the WTO.
It is important to mention
at the end that several regional intergovernmental organizations have been
playing important roles in the debate on cultural diversity, such as the
Organization of American States, Council of Europe (which adopted Declaration
on cultural diversity in December 2000), Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation,
African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States or African Union.
Garry
Neil
Nina
Obuljen
Nina Pešut.