Vol. 3, No. 3, July 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:

The UNESCO Convention: Canada Says Time for Negotiations Over, Focus Now on Building Strong Vote for Adoption in October

Canada used a major international meeting of culture ministers held in Madrid , Spain , June 11-12 to make a strong statement against re-opening negotiations on the proposed UNESCO convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.

UNESCO’s third intergovernmental negotiations session on the convention, held May 25 to June 3 in Paris, culminated in a text that the vast majority of the 130 member states participating in the talks supported being put forward for adoption at the 33 rd General Conference in October.

The challenge now, Canada says, is to rally as many countries as possible to ensure that the convention is supported by an overwhelming number of countries when it is proposed for adoption this October. A total of 192 member states will participate in the General Conference and in the event of a vote a two-thirds majority is required.

Jointly presided by the Spain ’s Carmen Calvo, Brazil ’s Gilberto Gil and France ’s Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, the Madrid meeting was attended by representatives of more than 70 countries, including some 45 ministers of culture.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the office of Minister of Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla issued a news release stating that “participants supported the Canadian delegation's argument against re-opening discussions on the text of the Convention, and agreed that the Convention should be presented without modification for adoption at the next UNESCO General Conference in October.”

The Canadian position—and the support it attracted—is significant because just days prior to the Madrid Meeting, UNESCO Director General Koïchiro Matsuura used a speech (available only in French) to a meeting of the Europe-Asia minister of culture (ASEM) in Paris to make a strong appeal for countries to continue negotiating with the objective of bringing on-side the United States and a small number of countries that had exercised reservations with respect to key elements of the text, notably Japan and Australia.

Throughout the UNESCO negotiations, the U.S. never deviated from its dilute-and-delay strategy and it became clear that they had no intention of supporting a true convention. But while largely isolated in their position, the impact of their lobbying is not to be underestimated, as Matsuura’s response shows.

(For more detail on the UNESCO negotiations, see the July issue of Coalition Currents.)

In a June 12 speech at the Banff Television Festival, Minister Frulla again emphasized the importance of consolidating support for the convention in the run-up to the October General Conference.

“Even though the United States did not support the text of the Convention, nearly all of the 130 countries present did approve it,” she noted. “My task, over the next few months, is to promote the merits of the Convention, especially to other countries that may not fully support the proposed text.”

“We want a Convention to be adopted by UNESCO's member states in order to gain recognition for each country's right to take measures to support and protect its artists and creators, in every form of expression,” she said. “We want a Convention that will take its place on the international scene and will serve as a point of reference for any discussion on the diversity of cultural expression.

“I am happy to say the final text reflects the position championed by Canada ,” she continued.

“It recognizes that cultural goods and services have both an economic and a social dimension.

It also has the necessary force so that the Convention will be given equal status with other international agreements, including that of the World Trade Organization, and will not be subordinate to them. That is a victory.“

Minister Frulla’s commitment to build support internationally for the convention is an extension of work she was doing in the run-up to the critical third negotiations session, notably in an address she gave at a May 16 gathering of the foreign diplomatic corps in Ottawa .

“We want to offer our best to the world, and to have access to the best of what the world has to offer. Canadians want to see themselves reflected when they turn on the television, open a book, go to the cinema or surf the Web,” she said.

“I firmly believe that each country must have the right and the means to adopt its own cultural policies and to promote its own modes of cultural expression. This is the only way for us to ensure that the diversity of cultural expression is not just maintained but developed, within our countries as well as internationally,” the Minister added.

The speech to the diplomatic corps expanded significantly on themes the Minister had laid out in a speech earlier in May at the Canadian Club in Toronto, in which she situated Canada’s work to secure an international convention at UNESCO as part of a seven-part strategy for ensuring the country’s cultural sovereignty.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Pettigrew to Mobilize Embassy Network in Support of Convention Campaign,
Salutes Work of the Coalition

Canada ’s network of embassies will be deployed in service of its campaign to build support for the proposed UNESCO convention, Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew has pledged.

Responding in the House of Commons on June 10 th to a question by Bloc Quebecois Canadian Heritage critic, Maka Kotto, Pettigrew said that Canadians could “count on Canadian diplomacy throughout the world to play a part in this progress, which is a direct reflection of the priorities we have been promoting in collaboration with the Government of Quebec. Our embassies will ensure that a large number of countries follow us along this great path,”

Earlier, in April and May, the Minister used two speeches on Canada ’s foreign policy to underscore his government’s commitment to the convention campaign, paying tribute to the work of Canada ’s Coalition for Cultural Diversity in the process.

Speaking May 31 at the APEX Symposium in Ottawa , the Minister cited the cultural diversity campaign as an example of how an ‘ethic of conscience’ can help ensure a more human globalization.

Pettigrew’s speech, which took as its departure point Canada’s International Policy Statement released on April 19, reiterated his personal conviction that the energy of the market, notably through international trade, is an essential driver of development for all countries.

But he tempered this by stressing that this “spirit of confidence driving development must be coupled with an ethic of conscience.”

“I have often said that globalization must be given a more human face. The battle that the governments of Canada and Quebec are waging for cultural diversity bears witness to the importance of our actions,” he said.

The Minister also applauded the work being done by Canada ’s cultural organizations, through the CCD, to build international support for the Convention.

“With my colleague Liza Frulla, we continue to support the excellent work of the Coalition for Cultural Diversity, which promotes the Convention and the importance of cultural diversity at the international level,” he said.

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Quebec National Assembly Motion
Hails Progress Made in UNESCO Talks

Members of the Quebec National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion (available only in French) on June 9 recognizing the important progress made during the final intergovernmental experts meeting, which culminated June 3 in a text that has now been forwarded to the agency’s Director General with a recommendation that it be proposed for adoption at the October General Conference.

In presenting the motion, Quebec ’s Minister of International Relations Monique Gagnon-Tremblay emphasized that the proposed text responded to the fundamental objectives of Quebec .

“In its present form, this text deserves to be defended by all those who believe in the diversity of cultural expressions,” she said. “We must therefore maintain—in fact, intensify—our mobilization efforts in order to obtain the maximum support from the member countries of UNESCO and ultimately secure the adoption of the convention on the diversity of cultural expressions during UNESCO’S General Conference next October.”

The minister stated that the prospects for obtaining strong support were good, since virtually all of the 130 member states taking part in the negotiations had endorsed it without reservation.

Gagnon-Tremblay also saluted the work done by the Coalition for Cultural Diversity in this campaign. “Their energy, their determination and their tireless efforts, have contributed to the creation of 25 coalitions for cultural diversity around the world, which has made a major difference in moving this file forward.”

Meanwhile, Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications Line Beauchamp returned from the June 11-12 Madrid meeting of culture ministers emphasizing (available only in French) the importance of « redoubling our efforts to maintain the strategic advance that we now hold. »

“We still have to convince those states that are undecided and above all maintain the existing base of support. In the coming months, we will continue our mobilization and hold the line so that the draft convention will be adopted in October 2005.”

In her speech (available only in French) at the Madrid meeting, Beauchamp reiterated that the proposed convention was a successful result.

“The draft convention represents a reasonable compromise supported by a large majority of member states of UNESCO. It establishes the political and legal foundations for an instrument that will be able to fill a void that now exists,” she said.

Ontario Culture Minister Meilleur and CCD
Host Roundtable Discussion on the UNESCO Convention

Ontario Minister of Culture Madeleine Meilleur used a roundtable discussion focusing on the UNESCO campaign to secure an international convention to protect the diversity of cultural expressions as an opportunity to emphatically affirm her government’s support for this initiative.

Speaking May 16 in Toronto to an audience composed of more than 80 artists, creators, independent film, television and music producers, publishers and broadcasters, as well as leaders of the professional organizations that represent them, the Minister clearly underlined what is at stake in this debate for Ontario :

“This convention is very important for Ontario ’s culture sector. Our cultural communities help us exchange ideas, images, stories and experiences that are uniquely Canadian. It is important that we protect the right to promote the distinctive and diverse voices of our artists,” the Minister said.

“ This convention is especially important for our cultural industries such as book and magazine publishing, film and television production, live theatre, sound recording and new media. They are the most likely targets of trade challenges,” she noted.

The Minister also touched on key issues relating to the content of the convention:

“We want to ensure that the convention contains provisions clarifying and harmonizing its relationship with existing trade agreements, and the nature of the dispute resolution process,” she stated.

And while underscoring the importance of Ontario ’s cultural industries to its economy, the Minister stressed the importance of the convention recognizing the distinctive nature of culture.

“Our culture defines who we are. It reflects our inclusive and tolerant society and the freedom of expression we cherish,” she said. “In our negotiations with UNESCO, we must assert our belief in the importance of cultural expression and foster its development and growth.”

“I know that all of us here today agree on a guiding principle: the right of Canada , and all countries, to take measures to support artists and creators across all forms of cultural expression,” the Minister concluded.

The Minister’s remarks set the stage for a panel discussion in which artists, creators, independent book and magazine publishers, and music and television producers all discussed the important role of cultural policies—at both the provincial and federal level—in ensuring that Canadians had access to their own culture.

The panel featured Anne-Marie Smith, President of Capital City Group records, whose urban artist-oriented roster ranges from hip-hop artist Saukrates to jazz great Oscar Peterson; director Ken Girotti, whose more than 100 credits range from Mutant X to The Campbells; actor Karl Pruner (E.N.G., Trudeau Part I and II); magazine publisher John Thomson (Canadian Geographic) and Jacqueline Howe, Vice-President of Transcontinental Publishishing (Canadian Living, Outdoor Canada and other titles); Patricia Aldana , publisher of Groundwood Books, a leading children’s book publisher; screenwriter Keith Ross Leckie (The Halifax Explosion, The Arrow), and television producer Linda Schuyler (Degrassi: The Next Generation).

The panel discussion led into a presentation tracing the evolution of the trade and cultural debate by Peter Grant , a cultural industries lawyer whose book, Blockbusters and Trade Wars, was recently short-listed for the Donner Prize for best book on Canadian public policy.

Artur Wilczynski, director of international relations and outreach for the Department of Canadian Heritage, and rapporteur for the UNESCO intergovernmental meetings on the convention, recapped key events in the UNESCO process to develop the convention, and described the state of play for the negotiations on the eve of the third intergovernmental meeting which would begin May 25 in Paris .

Robert Pilon, the Coalition’s executive vice president, concluded with an overview of the key elements that must be in an effective convention for it to clearly affirm the right of countries to have cultural policies, and for it to assume a status equal to trade agreements.

Several member organizations of the Coalition were represented at the roundtable: the ACP, ACTRA, American Federation of Musicians (AFM), Canadian Actor’s Equity Association, CAB, the CAFDE, CFTPA, CIRPA, Magazines Canada (formerly the CMPA), the Directors Guild of Canada, the League of Canadian Poets, the Playwrights’ Guild of Canada, the Songwriters Association of Canada, SOCAN, the Writers Union of Canada, and the Writers Guild of Canada.

Jim McKee, the Coalition’s Director of External Relations, moderated the discussion .

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CCD Elects New Executive Committee
at May 20 AGM in Montreal

Coalition for Cultural Diversity Co-chairs Pierre Curzi (UDA) and Scott McIntyre (ACP) were acclaimed for another year at the CCD’s annual general meeting on May 20 in Montreal.

Also returned were the Coalition’s treasurer, Solange Drouin (ADISQ), and its secretary, Yves Légaré (SARTEC).

The following eight board members were elected as vice-presidents: Michel Beauchemin (AQAD), Pamela Brand (DGC), Victor Davies (SOCAN), Catherine Loumède (AQTIS), Guy Mayson (CFTPA), Glenn O’Farrell (CAB), Maureen Parker (WGC), and Gilles Pellerin (ANEL).

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Strong Canadian Presence at Fourth International Meeting of Cultural Professionals in Madrid

Yvon Charbonneau , Canada ’s Ambassador to UNESCO, represented the Canadian government at the Fourth International Meeting of Cultural Professional Organizations, held in Madrid , Spain , May 9 to 11.

Ambassador Charbonneau took part in a panel discussion focusing on the state of the negotiations for the UNESCO convention on the eve of the third intergovernmental negotiations session in Paris .

The Department of Canadian Heritage was represented at the meeting by Kirsten Mlacak, director of international policy, planning and programs.

The government of Quebec was represented by Luc Bergeron, director of policy and international organizations with the Ministry of International Relations.

Coalition Co-Chair Pierre Curzi (and President of UDA) was also present and took part in a panel discussion with representatives of other national coalitions regarding essential elements of an effective UNESCO convention.

Professor Ivan Bernier of Quebec was a featured commentator for the meeting, and provided an overview of his recently published analysis of the state of the UNESCO negotiations based on the debates that took place during the February intergovernmental session and in light of the “composite” and “consolidated” draft texts released in March and April.

The Canadian Coalition’s Secretariat was heavily involved in the planning and organization of the Fourth Meeting, working closely with the host Spanish Coalition, and was represented at the meeting by Robert Pilon and Jim McKee.

Leaders of 170 organizations representing cultural professionals from 60 countries took part in the meeting, and this included a strong Canadian delegation. Representatives of CCD member organizations attending the Madrid Meeting included Michel Beauchemin of Association québécoise des auteurs dramatiques ( AQAD), Pamela Brand and Arden Ryshpan of Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), Brian Chater of Canadian Independent Record Production Association ( CIRPA), Solange Drouin of Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ), Gilles Pellerin of Association nationale des éditeurs de livres ( ANEL) , and Susan Wallace and Dawn Obokata of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (CAEA).

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Coalition Reps Meet with Minister Frulla,
Bloc Leader Duceppe

The Coalition continued to maintain an active presence in Ottawa in the first quarter of the new fiscal 2005-06, beginning with an April 14 meeting of Coalition co-chair Pierre Curzi and executive vice-president Robert Pilon with Minister of Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla to discuss Canada ’s position on the convention.

That same day, Curzi and Pilon met with Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, and Maka Kotto, the party’s Canadian Heritage critic, as well as addressing a gathering of ambassadors and foreign embassy representatives on the subject of the campaign for the UNESCO convention.

Similar meetings are in the works with the leader of the Conservative Party, Stephen Harper, and with Jack Layton, leader of the NDP. In fact, a meeting scheduled with Layton for April 21 had to be postponed when Prime Minister Paul Martin announced his decision to give an address on national television that evening.

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• The UNESCO Convention: Canada Says Time for Negotiations Over, Focus Now on Building Strong Vote for Adoption in October

• Foreign Affairs Minister Pettigrew to Mobilize Embassy Network in Support of Convention Campaign, Salutes Work of the Coalition

• Quebec National Assembly Motion Hails Progress Made in UNESCO Talks

• Ontario Culture Minister Meilleur and CCD Host Roundtable Discussion on the UNESCO Convention

• CCD Elects New Executive Committee at May 20 AGM in Montreal

• Strong Canadian Presence at Fourth International Meeting of Cultural Professionals in Madrid

• Coalition Reps Meet with Minister Frulla, Bloc Leader Duceppe

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Coalition Update is published with the financial assistance of the Government of Canada's Department of Canadian Heritage, and the Government of Quebec's Department of Culture and Communications.