The Honourable James Moore

The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity and Cultural Expressions

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Issue

The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is an important international legal instrument that reaffirms the right of countries to implement cultural policies that support the diversity of cultural expressions and recognizes the dual nature of cultural goods and services as having both an economic and social value.

Facts

Canada recognizes cultural diversity as a source of creativity, innovation, social cohesion, and economic development.

Canada has consistently played a leading role in matters of cultural diversity and was the first country to ratify the Convention. It continues to vigorously promote the ratification of the Convention by the greatest number of countries around the world, and is also playing an active role in the implementation of the Convention.

Supported by a consensus built with other countries, its provincial and territorial partners, particularly Quebec, as well as with the civil society, Canada participates actively in this new international initiative to support the diversity of cultural expressions around the world.

The UNESCO Convention gives Canada’s artists and cultural professionals the means to carry out their work and promote their artistic expressions, both in Canada and abroad. The text of the Convention also places the agreement on equal footing with other treaties, while respecting existing obligations.

In addition to welcoming diverse cultural expressions from abroad, Canada firmly believes that it is also essential for Canadians to have access to their own stories and their own culture through books, magazines, music, television, film, and new media. Canadian cultural industries and the contributions of our artists and cultural professionals are an integral part of our national identity.

The Convention was adopted by UNESCO on October 20, 2005, and officially entered into force on March 18, 2007. It now has more than 98 signatory states, and several more countries have indicated their intention to sign in the near future.