Session 6: Why develop a cultural diversity programming lens?
Susanne Schnuttgen from the UNESCO Cultural Pluralism and Dialogue Section discussed the central points and important principles of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and how state/civil society actors and policies play a vital role in fostering cultural pluralism as the "common heritage of humanity". A declaration, however, remains a non-binding ethical and political framework. There should be a binding normative instrument that reinforces standard-setting action to promote cultural diversity.
Thus, a preliminary draft convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions was prepared. Such instrument serves as a tool to promote creativity, creation and dynamic interaction between diverse cultural expressions. Once adopted and ratified, this convention will be a legally binding instrument defining the rights and obligations of member states as well as mechanisms for implementation and monitoring and procedures to be applied in the case that the Convention should not be respected.
Finally, developing and using the cultural diversity programming lens will be a crucial step beyond the convention and the Main Lines of an Action Plan for the implementation of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.
To access to the speaker's powerpoint presentation on "The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity: how to use it, promote it, and enforce its principles and the draft Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expression: synergies, complementarities, differences with the Declaration", click here.
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