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WHEREAS

Culture is the paramount expression of human creativity and identity in all their diversity and an inalienable heritage of all humanity;

Around the world this diversity is grounded in the myriad characteristics and local and regional experiences that profoundly enrich it and assure its renewal;

These characteristics and experiences find their expression through the creativity of individuals and the dynamism of enterprises that make possible its production and dissemination domestically and abroad;

The vitality of those cultural activities is intimately linked to a country's resources;

The accelerated globalization of trade, given that it involves countries and enterprises of such vastly differing resources, can hinder the dissemination of culture and severely limit access to cultural diversity by all.

WE AFFIRM

That cultural diversity is a fundamental human right and that countries should assure its preservation and promotion.

IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL

That countries and governments be entirely free to adopt the policies necessary to support the diversity of cultural expression and the viability of enterprises that produce and disseminate this expression;

That international trade agreements fully respect these policies;

That the application of such policies not be subject to reprisals.

WE ADVOCATE

That a new international instrument be implemented that establishes the principles essential to cultural diversity and that enshrines the fundamental right of countries and governments to adopt the policies necessary to support this diversity;

That until this new international instrument is implemented, countries refrain from taking trade liberalization commitments that would impact the cultural sector, whether in the context of negotiations within the WTO or within any other international trade negotiations;

That this new international instrument be developed and managed:

• within an appropriate intergovernmental forum - one that would first and foremost recognize the exceptional nature of cultural works, productions, goods and services,
• and not under the aegis of the WTO, or any other organization which is governed primarily by the standard rules applying to international trade of merchandise.

That the provisions of this instrument prevail over those of international trade agreements and that the decisions pursuant to their implementation, particularly in case of disputes, be enforceable.

(June 2000)