Coalition Currents - CCD Newsletter

Coalitions and professional cultural organizations of the Francophonie meet in Québec, Canada, on the eve of OIF Summit

On the eve of the XIIth Francophonie Summit, cultural stakeholders gathered in Québec, Canada, from October 11 to 13 for the Third Meeting of Coalitions and Professional Cultural Organizations from Francophonie Member Countries. Nearly 25 delegates from 16 different countries reaffirmed their commitment to the ratification campaign and to taking concrete action to implement the UNESCO Convention on the diversity of cultural expressions within their respective countries.

“On to action” was the theme of this two-day meeting, which focussed on discussions and debates on cultural policies and international cooperation. On to action, yes, but in a rational and realistic manner. The Co-chair of the Canadian Coalition, Solange Drouin, opened the event by stressing the importance of setting clear priorities and meeting specific targets, identifying the need to conduct a cultural stock-taking exercise in each of the countries as the most immediately pressing.

The participants therefore pledged to carry out an assessment of the state of cultural creation within their respective countries and produce an inventory of existing cultural policies by March 2009. The purpose of this exercise will be to highlight the economic importance of culture and to pinpoint those sectors in difficulty where government support is needed to ensure their full development.

As for the Convention’s Cultural Diversity Fund, Frédéric Bouilleux, Director of French Language and Cultural and Linguistic Diversity for the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF), noted in his address that financing through this fund should not be used for cultural production, but rather for research and surveys that can provide useful guidance to all concerned.

Another key issue discussed by participants during the two days of meetings was the role of cultural professionals in bringing about effective cultural policies within their countries. It was unanimously agreed that cultural professionals have an instrumental part to play in this process, as Bernard Boucher, Cultural Consultant and former Executive Director of the Policy, Communications and International Relations branch of SODEC, and Rasmané Ouedraogo, head of the Burkina Faso Coalition and President of the IFCCD, were able to demonstrate in their respective presentations on the evolution of cultural policies in both Quebec and Burkina Faso. In each of these cases, the sector’s high level of structuring by cultural professionals, the multiplication of private-sector initiatives and the establishment of a cultural network have all been widely credited with convincing government to take notice of the sector and respond to the demands of its professionals. In Quebec, as in Burkina Faso, cultural policies have been set according to the requirements of professionals working in the sector and to ground-level realities. “The professional milieu must be made an intrinsic part of the cultural policy development and application process,” affirmed Mr. Bouchard.

With the organization of the cultural milieu and market still in its infancy in many developing countries, one of the major challenges will be to ensure the sector’s economic and social positioning in these areas.

International cooperation among professionals could play an important role in this regard. Beat Santschi, Chair of the Swiss Coalition and Vice President of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), gave the example of some of the actions taken by the FIM, most notably the twinning of musicians’ unions from countries in the Northern and Southern hemispheres to promote the sharing of information and know-how. Cooperation among regions could prove equally successful. Cheick Ngaido Bâ, Chair of the Senegalese Coalition, echoed this position by highlighting the importance of cultural solidarity and cooperation among African nations.

The final issue addressed was the risk of culture becoming centralized in major cities and capitals. Many participants expressed the concern that a lack of funds and political will could result in the disappearance of cultural activities in the regions. Adama Traoré, Chair of the Malian Coalition, stressed that governments as well as professionals need to be made aware of this risk.

There is still massive work to be done but, as the old saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” On the journey to implementing the UNESCO Convention, that first step involves identifying the best practices and cultural policies in place, accurately assessing the economic role culture plays and ensuring cultural professionals take charge of organizing the sector in each country.

At the conclusion of the two days of meetings, the participants adopted a Declaration (in French only) that will be presented to the OIF Secretary General, His Excellency Abdou Diouf, at a meeting to be held in Paris a few days before the next Intergovernmental Committee meeting. In this Declaration, participants call upon the OIF to pursue its efforts to have Francophonie member States that have not yet ratified the Convention do so before March 2009 in order that they may take part in the next session of the Conference of Parties to the Convention. The participants also appeal to the OIF to pursue its actions to mobilize States on the implementation of the Convention by providing them with technical and financial support for the development of national cultural policies and the organization of professional cultural sectors.

This Third Meeting was organized by the Canadian Coalition for Cultural Diversity, in collaboration with the French Coalition and the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD), with the financial support of the International Organization of La Francophonie and the governments of France, Canada, Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick.

A seminar entitled “From theory to practice: Putting the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions to the test” was held in Québec City from September 25 to 27, 2008. Organized by Laval University law professors Ivan Bernier and Véronique Guèvremont, the event was attended by some 20 professionals from six different countries.

This seminar marked the launch of the International Network of Lawyers for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (RIJDEC), an association dedicated to:

Serving as an independent think-tank on issues related to the implementation, monitoring and interpretation of the Convention.
Providing legal counsel on the Convention’s implementation to states that so request it.
Meeting the needs of civil society stakeholders and providing legal expertise to support their efforts regarding the implementation of the Convention.
Building a bank of legal experts capable of responding to UNESCO’s needs on all matters pertaining to the implementation of the Convention.

This two-day seminar was an opportunity for the network to meet its first goal: initiating reflection on the implementation of the Convention. Lawyers and cultural professionals from various regions of the world debated and discussed issues centred on four main themes:

Measures intended to protect and promote cultural expressions at the national level;
Preferential treatment for developing countries;
The inclusion of culture in sustainable development policies;
Cultural expressions under threat.

This seminar also made it possible to identify the challenges that stakeholders will be facing in implementing the Convention. This instrument must be sure to meet the needs of cultural industries by, among other things, providing effective support for the setting of cultural policies and the structuring of the cultural sector in developing countries, and hold sufficient sway over other areas of international law, notably with respect to international trade agreements.

The International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity has maintained a strong presence on the international stage in recent months through the activities of its President and Secretary General.

First, Mr. Ouedraogo took part in a workshop on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and Sustainable Development put on within the framework of the summer session of the Center of Research and Information for Development in Nantes, France. This workshop, which took place July 4, 2008, and drew some 60 participants, was led by Mr. Ouedraogo, along with Diego Gradis, Vice Chair of the Swiss Coalition, and Claude Michel, Treasurer of the French Coalition.

Mr. Ouedraogo then headed to Paris in late August to deliver a presentation for a panel discussion on cultural diversity held as part of the summer session of MEDEF (Mouvement des entreprises de France). This forum served as an ideal opportunity to raise awareness about the IFCCD and importance of the UNESCO Convention among French, European and African decision makers.

In mid-October, Mr. Ouedraogo travelled to Algiers to attend the meeting of Ministers of Culture from the African Union (AU). On the occasion of this mission, he launched the process to have the IFCCD officially recognized as a partner of the AU and met with numerous African ministers of culture to impress upon them the importance of ratifying, and especially of implementing, the UNESCO Convention. The IFCCD President stressed, among other things, the need for these ministers to promptly commit to implementing and strengthening cultural policies within their respective countries.

Jim McKee, General Secretary of the IFCCD, conducted a mission to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in mid-September. While in New Zealand and Australia, Mr. McKee met with a large number of representatives from member organizations of both national coalitions to discuss the international campaign for the UNESCO Convention as well as strategies for ensuring the instrument’s effective implementation at the national level. In Australia, the General Secretary was joined by Ray Argall, representative of the Australian Coalition and President of the Australian Directors Guild, for a meeting with Australian Minister of Culture Peter Garrett. On the basis of that meeting, we remain hopeful that Australia will ratify the Convention within the coming months.

While in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jim McKee delivered a presentation to delegates of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) Congress. About two weeks later, on a similar mission to Marrakesh, Morocco, he spoke to members of the International Federation of Actors (FIA), who were also gathered for a world congress (see article below).

Lastly, Jean-Luc Pilon, the Canadian Coalition’s Manager of Operations and International Affairs, carried out a number of missions to English-speaking Africa and Asia. While in Tanzania and Zambia, he was able to strengthen ties forged with local professional organizations during the First Meeting of Coalitions and Professional Cultural Organizations from Commonwealth African Countries held in Johannesburg in September 2007. These meetings also enabled dialogue on the strategies that should be put in place to secure speedy ratification of the Convention by these countries.

Mr. Pilon also met with representatives of professional cultural organizations in the Philippines to speak with them about the coalitions movement and the Convention ratification and implementation campaign. This first mission to the country made it possible to establish initial contact with organizations in the field and to lay the groundwork for future cooperation.

The International Federation of Actors (FIA) and the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) each held their XIXth Congresses during the month of October, and both used the occasion as an opportunity to reaffirm their engagement to promote the broader ratification and effective implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.

Meeting in Johannesburg October 1-3, over a hundred FIM delegates adopted two resolutions. In one, they engage FIM and its member unions to “pursue their efforts to convince states that have not yet ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions to do so as soon as possible.” Delegates also pledged to play an active role in implementing the Convention “by using in particular the possibilities afforded by Article 11.”

In another resolution, delegates agreed that FIM request that the UNESCO Convention “be implemented forthwith by states that have ratified it. The promotion of cultural diversity must not be hindered by any free-competition or market-rule argument. This convention must produce practical results and become an instrument for enriching dialogue between Nations.”

Moreover, in additional resolutions, FIM also committed to assist members in lobbying UNESCO member states to promote cultural policies that include specific measures aimed at preserving and enhancing traditional music; and consistent with the provisions of Article 16 of the Convention, pledged to work to “facilitate the issuing of visas to artists from third countries, so as to respect the principle of solidarity and international cooperation embodied in the Convention” while emphasizing the importance of governments consulting with local performing artists’ unions in the visa issuing process.

Later in the month—gathering in Marrakesh, Morocco, October 23-27, close to 180 FIA delegates from performers’ unions similarly affirmed their commitment to realizing the potential of the UNESCO Convention as an international legal instrument for upholding the right of states to apply cultural policies.

Calling the 2005 adoption of the Convention by UNESCO states “a decisive moment in the realisation and recognition by States, for the first time in history, that artistic works, across all disciplines, cannot simply be considered as goods like any other,” FIM delegates stressed the broader ratification of the Convention as being of “supreme importance if we wish to avoid a situation where the cultural sector simply serves as a bargaining chip in relation to other economic sectors, in a world ruled by the laws of liberalization and competition.”

Support its members to place pressure on their respective governments to ratify the Convention, where they have not already done so
Encourage, through the networking of cultural professionals in different countries, the creation of national coalitions for cultural diversity, where these do not already exist.”

Hosted by the SNPT Morocco performing artist’s union, the FIA Congress was noteworthy for the fact that, in a speech delivered on his behalf during the October 23 opening ceremonies, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI stated that the country’s government was in the process of completing its ratification of the UNESCO Convention.

Jim McKee, General Secretary of the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD), was invited to both Congresses to provide an update on the current state of the ratification campaign for the Convention and on the process now underway for implementing it.

The European Union has been a strong supporter of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions from the very beginning of the campaign to put in place an international agreement that recognizes the distinctive nature of cultural goods and services and affirms the right of states to apply policies and other measures to support their domestic cultural sectors.

However, its evident willingness to contemplate liberalization commitments covering the audiovisual sector in a current bilateral trade negotiation with the Ukraine has Europe’s cultural milieu concerned that its stance in such trade negotiations could undermine the UNESCO Convention.

In July, Europe’s coalitions for cultural diversity learned that the European Commission had expressed its intention to not exclude audiovisual services from the negotiations with the Ukraine.

Europe’s Coalitions for Cultural Diversity responded collectively in a letter to the EU’s then-Foreign Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson in which they expressed their concerns about the negative consequences this would have on cultural diversity in Europe.

“We are extremely concerned by this proposal by the European Commission, which is in complete contradiction with the position defended by the European Union in its multilateral trade negotiations—all the more so given that this negotiation is with a country that, having expressed its interest in joining the European Union, has not made liberalization commitments on audiovisual services in the context of joining the WTO.

Consequently, the European Coalitions ask that you exclude audiovisual services from the services chapter of this FTA with the Ukraine. In effect, the signature of an FTA containing engagements on audiovisual services would completely call into question the policy of excluding audiovisual services from trade negotiations, and would be contrary to the European Union’s commitments in the context of the Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.”

The letter was signed by Beat Santschi, Vice President, Europe, for the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity.

Mr. Mandelson departed the Foreign Trade post in early October to return to cabinet position in the British Labour Government of Gordon Brown, but not before confirming that the European Commission is open to including the audiovisual sector in its negotiations with the Ukraine.

Mr. Mandelson defended the decision to not exclude culture from the talks by stating that this reflected the fact that the proposed “New Enhanced Agreement” with the Ukraine will build on a partnership and cooperation agreement in place since 1998, and “consists of a global political and economic integration agreement fundamentally different from our standard FTAs.”

“One must recall that the EU’s position on audiovisual policy is based on according a preferred status for content of European-origin in a broad sense, i.e. pan-European (Council of Europe) and that preferential treatment may be accorded to European partners with whom an integration process has been initiated.” He also noted that in its WTO accession negotiations, the Ukraine was consistent with the UE position in terms of refraining from commitments on audiovisual services as well as taking Most Favoured Nations (MFN) exemptions necessary for the functioning of structures and programs favouring European content.

However, with respect to the trans-border provision of services (i.e. Modes 1 and 2), Mr. Mandelson stated categorically that the EU would be making no commitments of any kind affecting audiovisual services. But his letter did not rule out commitments under Modes 3 and 4.

He concluded by emphasizing that the EU-Ukraine pact would “in no way constitute a precedent for our future agreements. In a European context, the approach will have to be tailored to the specificities of a given negotiation, notably with respect to the EU’s commitments and MFN exemptions at the WTO.”

The European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity remain concerned about the EU position in these negotiations. Even if broad in scope, the EU-Ukraine talks remain fundamentally a trade negotiation with a country that is not considered to be a candidate for EU membership in the near- or even mid-term future. Making audiovisual commitments in such a negotiation is not only inconsistent with the UNESCO Convention, it contradicts 15 years of EU policy in refraining from such commitments, and it is difficult to see how it would not be viewed as a precedent for similar negotiations in the future.