ccd_update_november03.html

Canada has re-emphasized the campaign to preserve cultural diversity and develop a binding international convention on cultural diversity during the run-up to the Free Trade Area of the Americas Ministerial meeting in Miami later this month.

The Canadian government did so by securing the public release on September 23 of a paper on cultural diversity in the FTAA talks. The paper, dated April 4, was originally tabled during meetings of the FTAA Trade Negotiations Committee earlier this year.

Among other points, the paper highlights preambular language Canada first proposed for the FTAA in July of 2001:

"Recognizing that countries must maintain the ability to preserve, develop and implement their cultural policies for the purpose of strengthening cultural diversity, given the essential role that cultural goods and services play in the identity and diversity of society and the lives of individuals."

The paper concludes by stating that "pending the development of a new binding instrument on cultural diversity, and the determination of its linkages with the disciplines of trade agreements, Canada believes the most effective way to reflect those concerns is through a cultural exemption for the FTAA."

The FTAA ministerial is scheduled for November 20-21 in Miami, Florida. Thirty-four countries are involved in the FTAA negotiations. The Miami minister gathering was originally envisaged as marking the halfway point of the negotiations, which were scheduled to conclude in January 2005. However, the talks have moved more slowly than expected with the main sticking point being agricultural subsidies.

The Canadian government has repeatedly stated that it will not make commitments affecting culture in the context of trade negotiations such as the FTAA or WTO Doha rounds, while working to see the implementation of an international convention on cultural diversity.

This position was again underscored in a Q&A package distributed November 5 by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which cited exemptions included in Canada’s bilateral agreements with Chile, Israel and Costa Rica as models of the type of cultural exemption it wants to see in the FTAA.

Strong Canadian Support for Convention Proposal
Conveyed by MinistersGraham, Copps
during UNESCO General Conference

One clear indicator of Canada’s strong support for the proposal that UNESCO take on development of a convention on cultural diversity was the fact that two cabinet ministers were in Paris to speak in favour of the convention proposal during the General Conference this past October.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham represented Canada during the opening plenary session of the General Conference on October 2 and highlighted Canada’s desire to see UNESCO take on development of the convention. In his speech, he emphasized that the campaign for cultural diversity is essentially about favoring a balanced exchange of cultural content from countries.

"Cultural diversity means openness to various influences and cultural products, while enabling each country to give voice to its own cultural expression. In short, it calls for a balance between access to local cultural content and openness to other cultures. That is a fundamental principle of cultural diversity."

On October 13, Minister of Canadian Heritage represented Canada during the Commission IV (Culture) debate which focused on the proposal for a convention on cultural diversity, and culminated in a consensus decision in favour of the proposal. The decision was subsequently endorsed during the closing plenary session of the General Conference on October 17.

Minister Copps hailed the UNESCO decision to go ahead with developing the convention.

"This is a milestone in ensuring effective standard-setting for the promotion of equitable cultural exchange," Minister Copps said. "Canada has worked hard to promote a convention that will cover diversity of cultural expression and cultural content and, together with its partners, is committed to building past achievements." (News release)

Following her speech in Paris, Minister Copps proceeded to Opatija, Croatia, where she took part in the sixth annual meeting of the International Network for Cultural Policy—the informal network of culture ministers which she initiated in 1998.

UNESCO’s General Conference saw the return of Canada to the 58-member Executive Board. Following the tireless work done by Canada’s Ambassador Louis Hamel to build support for the convention proposal in the months leading up to the General Conference, Canada was elected with the single largest vote count of any candidate for the Board.

Quebec's National Assembly Unanimously Approves
Charest Government Motion
on Cultural Diversity Convention

The Liberal Government of Jean Charest passed a special motion in the National Assembly to highlight the recent decision by UNESCO to take on the development of a convention on cultural diversity and re-affirm Quebec’s strong support for this initiative.

The motion was proposed by Line Beauchamp, Minister of Cultural and Communications, and obtained the unanimous support of all three parties—Liberals, Parti Québecois, and Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ). André Boisclair, spoke on behalf of the Parti Québecois and Sylvie Roy spoke on behalf of the Action Démocratique du Québec.

In proposing the motion, Minister Beauchamp noted that the decision by UNESCO to undertake the convention was the result of a "remarkable partnership between governments, multilateral institutions and civil society" and congratulated the Coalition for Cultural Diversity for its work in "planting the seeds of a movement that has become truly international in scope". (our translation)

Premier Jean Charest expanded on the Minister’s comments, reaffirming Quebec’s determination to see the convention campaign through to a successful conclusion while not underestimating the challenges ahead.

"We are very clear about the next step. This will be a battle. We will need to be firm in our resolve and active, and we will have to take advantage of each opportunity to defend cultural diversity. And we will need to continue to build alliances." (our translation)

Several representatives of CCD member organizations were in the visitors’ gallery to observe the debate and vote on the motion, including Co-Chair Pierre Curzi (UDA), Fortner Anderson (DGC), Francine Bertrand-Venne (SPACQ), Mireille Gagné (CMC Québec), Raymonde Gazaille (CQT), Dominique Laquerre (RAVV), Richard Paradis (CAFDE), and Gilles Pellerin (ANEL). Executive Vice President Robert Pilon and Director of External Relations Jim McKee also attended.

The motion was just the latest in a series of emphatic statements the Charest government has made in favour of the convention proposal, including an address delivered to the New York’s Foreign Policy Association by the Premier himself this past October.

Robert Pilon Addresses Vancouver Conference
on Diversity in Feature Film

The CCD’s Robert Pilon was a featured speaker at a one-day conference held in Vancouver October 3 which considered the campaign for a convention on cultural diversity in the context of efforts by countries to maintain healthy national cinemas despite Hollywood’s relentless attempts to secure market dominance globally.

Entitled ‘Cultural Survival in the Age of Hollywood’ the session was organized by the Institute for European Studies in conjunction with the University of British Columbia’s Canadian Studies Department and the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Approximately 100 people attended the session, which also featured Rod Stoneman (director of the Huston School of Film and Digitial Media and former head of the Irish National Film Institute), writer-director Coline Serreau (France) and British Columbia filmmaker Mort Ransen, among others.

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				Highlights:
	Vol. 1, No. 5, November 2003 IN THIS ISSUE: Canada Re-Asserts Position on Culture in Advance of November FTAA Ministerial Meeting in Miami Canada has re-emphasized the campaign to preserve cultural diversity and develop a binding international convention on cultural diversity during the run-up to the Free Trade Area of the Americas Ministerial meeting in Miami later this month. The Canadian government did so by securing the public release on September 23 of a paper on cultural diversity in the FTAA talks. The paper, dated April 4, was originally tabled during meetings of the FTAA Trade Negotiations Committee earlier this year. Among other points, the paper highlights preambular language Canada first proposed for the FTAA in July of 2001: "Recognizing that countries must maintain the ability to preserve, develop and implement their cultural policies for the purpose of strengthening cultural diversity, given the essential role that cultural goods and services play in the identity and diversity of society and the lives of individuals." The paper concludes by stating that "pending the development of a new binding instrument on cultural diversity, and the determination of its linkages with the disciplines of trade agreements, Canada believes the most effective way to reflect those concerns is through a cultural exemption for the FTAA." The FTAA ministerial is scheduled for November 20-21 in Miami, Florida. Thirty-four countries are involved in the FTAA negotiations. The Miami minister gathering was originally envisaged as marking the halfway point of the negotiations, which were scheduled to conclude in January 2005. However, the talks have moved more slowly than expected with the main sticking point being agricultural subsidies. The Canadian government has repeatedly stated that it will not make commitments affecting culture in the context of trade negotiations such as the FTAA or WTO Doha rounds, while working to see the implementation of an international convention on cultural diversity. This position was again underscored in a Q&A package distributed November 5 by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which cited exemptions included in Canada’s bilateral agreements with Chile, Israel and Costa Rica as models of the type of cultural exemption it wants to see in the FTAA. TOP Strong Canadian Support for Convention Proposal Conveyed by MinistersGraham, Copps during UNESCO General Conference One clear indicator of Canada’s strong support for the proposal that UNESCO take on development of a convention on cultural diversity was the fact that two cabinet ministers were in Paris to speak in favour of the convention proposal during the General Conference this past October. Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham represented Canada during the opening plenary session of the General Conference on October 2 and highlighted Canada’s desire to see UNESCO take on development of the convention. In his speech, he emphasized that the campaign for cultural diversity is essentially about favoring a balanced exchange of cultural content from countries. "Cultural diversity means openness to various influences and cultural products, while enabling each country to give voice to its own cultural expression. In short, it calls for a balance between access to local cultural content and openness to other cultures. That is a fundamental principle of cultural diversity." On October 13, Minister of Canadian Heritage represented Canada during the Commission IV (Culture) debate which focused on the proposal for a convention on cultural diversity, and culminated in a consensus decision in favour of the proposal. The decision was subsequently endorsed during the closing plenary session of the General Conference on October 17. Minister Copps hailed the UNESCO decision to go ahead with developing the convention. "This is a milestone in ensuring effective standard-setting for the promotion of equitable cultural exchange," Minister Copps said. "Canada has worked hard to promote a convention that will cover diversity of cultural expression and cultural content and, together with its partners, is committed to building past achievements." (News release) Following her speech in Paris, Minister Copps proceeded to Opatija, Croatia, where she took part in the sixth annual meeting of the International Network for Cultural Policy—the informal network of culture ministers which she initiated in 1998. UNESCO’s General Conference saw the return of Canada to the 58-member Executive Board. Following the tireless work done by Canada’s Ambassador Louis Hamel to build support for the convention proposal in the months leading up to the General Conference, Canada was elected with the single largest vote count of any candidate for the Board. TOP Quebec's National Assembly Unanimously Approves Charest Government Motion on Cultural Diversity Convention The Liberal Government of Jean Charest passed a special motion in the National Assembly to highlight the recent decision by UNESCO to take on the development of a convention on cultural diversity and re-affirm Quebec’s strong support for this initiative. The motion was proposed by Line Beauchamp, Minister of Cultural and Communications, and obtained the unanimous support of all three parties—Liberals, Parti Québecois, and Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ). André Boisclair, spoke on behalf of the Parti Québecois and Sylvie Roy spoke on behalf of the Action Démocratique du Québec. In proposing the motion, Minister Beauchamp noted that the decision by UNESCO to undertake the convention was the result of a "remarkable partnership between governments, multilateral institutions and civil society" and congratulated the Coalition for Cultural Diversity for its work in "planting the seeds of a movement that has become truly international in scope". (our translation) Premier Jean Charest expanded on the Minister’s comments, reaffirming Quebec’s determination to see the convention campaign through to a successful conclusion while not underestimating the challenges ahead. "We are very clear about the next step. This will be a battle. We will need to be firm in our resolve and active, and we will have to take advantage of each opportunity to defend cultural diversity. And we will need to continue to build alliances." (our translation) Several representatives of CCD member organizations were in the visitors’ gallery to observe the debate and vote on the motion, including Co-Chair Pierre Curzi (UDA), Fortner Anderson (DGC), Francine Bertrand-Venne (SPACQ), Mireille Gagné (CMC Québec), Raymonde Gazaille (CQT), Dominique Laquerre (RAVV), Richard Paradis (CAFDE), and Gilles Pellerin (ANEL). Executive Vice President Robert Pilon and Director of External Relations Jim McKee also attended. The motion was just the latest in a series of emphatic statements the Charest government has made in favour of the convention proposal, including an address delivered to the New York’s Foreign Policy Association by the Premier himself this past October. TOP Robert Pilon Addresses Vancouver Conference on Diversity in Feature Film The CCD’s Robert Pilon was a featured speaker at a one-day conference held in Vancouver October 3 which considered the campaign for a convention on cultural diversity in the context of efforts by countries to maintain healthy national cinemas despite Hollywood’s relentless attempts to secure market dominance globally. Entitled ‘Cultural Survival in the Age of Hollywood’ the session was organized by the Institute for European Studies in conjunction with the University of British Columbia’s Canadian Studies Department and the Vancouver International Film Festival. Approximately 100 people attended the session, which also featured Rod Stoneman (director of the Huston School of Film and Digitial Media and former head of the Irish National Film Institute), writer-director Coline Serreau (France) and British Columbia filmmaker Mort Ransen, among others. TOP			Canada Re-Asserts Position on Culture in Advance of November FTAA Ministerial Meeting in Miami Strong Canadian Support for Convention Proposal Conveyed by Ministers Graham, Copps during UNESCO General Conferencer Quebec's National Assembly Unanimously Approves Charest Government Motion on Cultural Diversity Convention Robert Pilon Addresses Vancouver Conference on Diversity in Feature Film Update is published by Canada's Coalition for Cultural Diversity. 154 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 240 Montreal, QUE H2T 2N7 T. (514) 277-2666 F. (514) 277-9994 www.cdc-ccd.org e-mail: Editor: Jim McKee Contributors: Robert Pilon, Geneviève Grimard, Mélanie Marron, Sylvie Riendeau