5 Years on: UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Fadila Laanan, Minister of Culture, Audiovisual Affairs, Health and Equal Opportunities of the French-speaking Community in Belgium, Bensalem Himmich, Minister of Culture, Morocco, and Olivia Grange, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Jamaica participated in a conference organised by the the European Commission in Brussels on 8 December to mark the 5th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.
The aim of the Convention is to ensure that cultural professionals and citizens can create, produce, disseminate and enjoy a broad range of cultural goods, services and activities. The European Commission and 115 countries have ratified it (full list of parties).The conference examined how the Convention is being implemented as a global instrument for cultural cooperation. Panels focused on the role of culture in policies on sustainable development, trade and freedom of expression. The event concluded with a concert by the legendary Congolese guitarist Dizzy Mandjeku.
