Canada @ the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS), as the primary multilateral organization in the Americas is a key forum for discussions related to cultural policy and cultural diversity. Further to the Third Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec City in April 2001, leaders of the hemisphere agreed to a plan of action, which included a chapter on cultural diversity and called on the OAS to act as the primary body responsible for its implementation.

Chapter 17 of the Summit of the Americas Plan of Action was the result of significant inter-American negotiation that resulted in a detailed blue print for action on cultural diversity and cultural policy. The chapter covers a range of important initiatives that have flowed directly from the commitments made by the leaders of the hemisphere. Issues covered by the chapter include sport, prevention of the illicit import and export of cultural property, and the importance of fostering awareness and understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity in the Americas.

The Department of Canadian Heritage is playing a leading role in the implementation of the Summit Plan of Action on cultural diversity. The Department hosted the First inter-American Experts Seminar on Cultural Diversity in Vancouver in March of 2002. Over eighty representatives from 27 countries and numerous civil society organizations participated in this significant gathering. As a first meeting on cultural diversity in the hemisphere, this seminar was an opportunity for experts to engage in a range of detailed discussions and debates. The complexity of issues such as globalization, economic, social and cultural development, and the role of cultural industries was reflected in a range of presentations and arguments advanced by experts. This seminar was also significant because it contributed directly to the themes and issues addressed during the First Ministerial Meeting on Cultural Diversity, held in Cartagena, Colombia in July of 2002.

The Ministerial meeting which followed the experts seminar resulted from significant work and planning on the part of Canada and key partners including Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Barbados and the United States. These key countries, as well as other significant hemispheric partners, met regularly at an informal working group, chaired by Canada and charged by the OAS to prepare the upcoming Ministerial meeting. Over the course of several months, the working group negotiated a draft declaration and plan of action and submitted them for the consideration of Ministers in Cartagena.

The Cartagena Declaration and Plan of Action, adopted on July 13, 2002 demonstrated the significance of cultural diversity to all member states of the Americas. Countries as diverse as Canada, Brazil, Antigua and Barbuda, the United States and Mexico, agreed that greater inter-American cooperation was needed in order to preserve and promote the cultural diversity of the Americas. The establishment of a new inter-American Committee on Culture, which serves as the basis of ongoing Canadian Heritage engagement in the hemisphere, and agreement to conduct a feasability study into the establishment of an Inter-American Cultural Policy Observatory were among the significant developments in Cartagena.

Canada will continue to work with the OAS, in particular the Unit on Social Development, Education and Culture, and with key bilateral partners in the hemisphere to implement the provisions of the Cartagena Declaration and Plan of Action.