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December 8 2006
Convention on cultural diversity: Ratification status a year later
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On December 9, 2005, the Director-General of UNESCO and the President of the 33rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference signed the Convention on the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted on October 20, 2005, by the General Conference. Their signatures formalized the Convention, drafted in six languages, and paved the way to ratification by the UNESCO member states.
A year later, ratification instruments have been filed with the UN agency by 21 member states — nine countries in Africa, six in Europe and six in the Americas, including Canada. The National Assembly of Québec was the world’s first parliamentary body to pass a unanimous motion in support of the Convention, on November 10, 2005. The Convention will come into force three months after it has been ratified by 30 member states.
The Government of Québec is pleased by the existence of this international legal instrument, which reasserts the sovereign right of governments to establish cultural policies and support measures for creators and recognizes the special nature of cultural goods and services. The Convention also confirms the principle of openness to other cultures and promotes international cooperation through the development of cultural industries in developing countries.
Cultural Diversity - Government of Québec
Convention on the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
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