UNESCO AND CULTURAL
DIVERSITY
Mr Themba P.Wakashe,
Director-General:
Department of Arts and Culture
INDEX
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Introduction and background
UNESCO’s Strategic Framework
SA National Commission for UNESCO
DAC and UNESCO
UNESCO and Cultural Diversity
The Convention on Cultural Diversity
Implementation of the Convention
Conclusion
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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
 UNESCO is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United
Nations and contributes to the building of peace, the
eradication of poverty, sustainable development and
intercultural dialogue through its mandate for education,
the sciences, culture, communication and information.
 UNESCO membership consists of 193 countries and seven
associate members.
 UNESCO is based in Paris and has over 50 field offices and
many specialized institutes and centres throughout the
world.
 UNESCO has a number of priority projects within its field
of expertise, which include literacy, technical and teacher
training programmes; international science programmes;
the promotion of independent media and freedom of the
press; regional and cultural history projects; the promotion
of cultural diversity; international cooperation agreements
to promote and protect the world cultural and natural
heritage (World Heritage Sites), and attempts to bridge the
worldwide digital divide.
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UNESCO’S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
• UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy for 2008 to 2013 is
structured around five programme-driven, overarching
objectives which are:
 Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning;
 Mobilizing scientific knowledge and policy for sustainable
development;
 Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges;
 Promoting cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a
culture of peace;
 Building inclusive knowledge societies through information
and communication.
• UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy also accords global
priority to Africa and gender equality. Action in favour of
Africa respects the priorities decided by Africa itself,
through the African Union and its NEPAD programme.
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UNESCO’s Strategic Framework
cont…
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UNESCO is actively pursuing the Millennium
Development Goals, especially those aiming to:
Halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty
in developing countries by 2015;
Achieve universal primary education in all countries by
2015;
Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary
education by 2005;
Help countries implement a national strategy for
sustainable development by 2005; and
Reverse current trends in the loss of environmental
resources by 2015.
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SA NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR
UNESCO
• The South African National Commission for UNESCO
(SANATCOM) was established in 1998 with the core
function to effectively integrate and coordinate
UNESCO activities in South Africa, through
cooperation with government departments and civil
society organisations.
• The SANATCOM under the leadership of the Minister
of Basic Education is responsible for servicing six line
departments whose areas of competency coincide with
the broad mandate of UNESCO.
• The SANATCOM’s vision is to strive towards a
knowledge based society characterised by the
pursuance of educational, cultural, information and
scientific excellence in accordance with UNESCO’s
ideals and for the development of the country.
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SA NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO
• The SANATCOM’s mission is to support the
transformation of our society and strengthen our
democracy by:
 Facilitating the implementation of UNESCO programmes
in education, natural, social and human science, culture
and communication;
 Facilitating cooperation on national UNESCO issues
among National Departments;
 Facilitating the adherence to the UNESCO’s ethical
standards especially with regard to peace and human
rights;
 Encouraging the application of UNESCO standard-setting
instruments to support the redress of social disadvantage;
 Providing communication channels between South Africa,
UNESCO and other National Commissions; and
 Participating actively in the affairs of UNESCO.
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DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE
AND UNESCO
• DAC is involved closely with UNESCO, through the
implementation of the following:
 Heritage (World Heritage, Intangible Heritage, Underwater
Heritage)
 Memory of the World
 Cultural Diversity
• South Africa was readmitted to UNESCO on 12 December
1994, following the country’s transition to democracy.
• In 1997 the country ratified the World Heritage Convention
and served as a member of the World Heritage Committee
from 2000 to 2005. SA was re-elected in 2009 to serve a 2nd
term from 2010 – 2013.
• During this time South Africa, through the Department of
Arts and Culture, successfully hosted the 29th session of the
World Heritage Committee in 2005 and further facilitated
the process that resulted in the establishment of the African
World Heritage Fund in 2006.
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DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE AND
UNESCO
Memory of the World
• South Africa became involved in UNESCO’S Memory of the World
(M.o.W) Programme in 2003.
• The MoW Programme promotes the preservation of the world’s
documentary heritage against natural and man-made disasters.
• South Africa hosted the 8th UNESCO International Advisory
Committee (I.A.C.) meeting for the Memory of the World (MoW)
Programme in June 2007 to evaluate all proposals submitted to
UNESCO for enlisting in the UNESCO’s Memory of the World
International Register (MoWIR).
• Two South African collections were accepted for registration in the
MoWIR. These two collections are the Rivonia Trial collection,
housed at the National Archives of South Africa, and the Living
Apartheid collection which is housed at the Doxa Productions in
Cape Town.
• A call for nomination for the 2011 MoW IR listing was sent out late
2009 to heritage institutions in South Africa. Three new
nominations were received. The CODESA, the Multiparty
Collections aand the Medu Art Ensemble Collection at Freedom
Park were submitted to UNESCO MoW Programme.
• SA is also currently chairing the Africa Regional Committee of the
Memory of the World.
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CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND UNESCO
• UNESCO defines and sees Cultural Diversity as a
driving force of development, not only in respect of
economic growth, but also as a means of leading a more
fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual
life. This is captured in all seven culture conventions at
UNESCO, which provides a basis for the promotion of
cultural diversity.
• According to the UNESCO Universal Declaration on
Cultural Diversity (2001), acceptance and recognition
of cultural diversity is conducive to dialogue among
civilizations and cultures, respect and mutual
understanding. The promotion of cultural diversity is
central to UNESCO’s mandate.
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CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND UNESCO
• UNESCO published a World Report on Investing in
Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue in 2009.
• The report states that Cultural Diversity is more than
just the protection of heritage in danger. It is also the
development of intercultural skills, the road towards
new forms of governance, the lever of the effective
exercise of universally recognized human rights and a
means to reduce imbalances in the trade of cultural
goods and services.
• The Report especially suggests creating a ‘World
Observatory on Cultural Diversity, to monitor the
impacts of globalization’, setting up a "national
mechanism for monitoring public policies as they relate
to cultural diversity," and implementing "national
language policies with a view to both safeguarding
linguistic diversity and promoting multilingual
competencies."
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UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL
DIVERSITY
• The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the
Diversity of Cultural Expressions stands out among the
heritage-related conventions in that it focuses primarily on
the diversity of cultural expressions, as circulated and
shared through cultural activities, goods and services, the
most contemporary transmitters of culture.
• The Convention responds to an existing need to actively
protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions in
the face of the accelerated pace of globalization.
• In 2001 UNESCO adopted the Universal declaration on
Cultural Diversity.
• In 2003, INCP Ministers of Culture made a submission to
UNESCO to create a legal binding instrument that will
address issues relating to Cultural Diversity.
• In 2003 Member States requested UNESCO to pursue
normative action to defend human creativity.
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UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL
DIVERSITY
• After 2 years of intense negotiations at UNESCO
between independent and government experts, the
UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion
of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was adopted by
majority vote at the 33rd session of the UNESCO
General Conference in 2005.
• The Convention is the 1st normative international
instrument that deals with the protection and promotion
of cultural diversity on a global scale.
• South Africa fully supports the Convention and ratified
the Convention in December 2006.
• The Convention came into force in March 2007 and SA
chaired the 1st Conference of Parties on the Convention
in June 2006.
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UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL
DIVERSITY cont..
• The Convention has been heralded as the Magna
Charta of International Cultural Policy, reaffirming the
rights of governments to adopt and implement cultural
policy measures necessary to protect and promote
cultural expressions.
The main objectives of the Convention are to:
 Recognize that cultural goods and services convey
identity, values and meaning and therefore can not be
treated as mere commodities or consumer goods;
 Encourage governments to introduce cultural policies
and measures that address al links in the value chain
from creation, production, distribution, access and
enjoyment of cultural expressions; and
 Promote international cooperation.
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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
CONVENTION
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The following activities should be pursued by all to
ensure the effective implementation of the Convention:
Develop a complete set of operational guidelines for the
Convention;
Encourage additional ratifications from all regions of the
world and raise visibility of the Convention;
Test and manage the International Fund on Cultural
Diversity (IFCD);
Implement mechanisms that can provide preferential
treatment for artists and cultural practitioners from
developing countries and provide access for their goods
and services in developed countries.
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IMPLEMENTATION cont….
• South Africa has been elected to serve on the
Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) of the Convention
for 4 years.
• One of the main tasks of the IGC is to prepare the
operational guidelines on the application and
implementation of the Convention.
• The purpose of the operational guidelines is to provide
governments with a general framework on how they
may implement and apply provisions of the Convention
in their own countries.
• Operational guidelines for article 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16,
17 and 18 has been developed and are in the
implementation phase.
• Work on developing operational guidelines for articles
9, 10 and 19 are currently underway and will be
discussed during the 4th Ordinary Session of the IGC,
which is due to take place in Paris from 29 November –
3 December 2010.
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IMPLEMENTATION cont….
• The Convention also recognises the establishment of
financial support mechanisms for the developing world,
through an international fund for cultural diversity.
• The purpose of the Fund is to promote cooperation for
sustainable development and poverty reduction in
order to foster the emergence of a dynamic cultural
sector in developing countries and to promote SouthSouth-North cooperation.
• To ensure the sustainability and smooth operation of
the Fund, State Parties should be encouraged to play
an active part in financing the Fund through voluntary
and regular contributions to the Fund.
• SA has made a voluntary contribution of R87 000 to the
fund which equals to 1% of our annual contributions to
UNESCO.
• The first call for applications to be funded through the
International Fund for Cultural Diversity was made in
March 2010 and SA submitted 13 proposals in response
to the call for proposals.
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CONCLUSION
• The number of countries having ratified the
Convention together with SA, has reached 113.
• Efforts are still on the way to encourage increased
ratifications and to raise awareness/visibility of the
Convention, especially in under-represented regions.
• DAC will be conducting consultative workshops
throughout the country with provinces, associated
institutions and civil society representatives in the arts,
culture and heritage sector to promote the
implementation of the approved operational guidelines
of the Convention.
• 21 May as been declared by UNESCO as “World Day
for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development”
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Thank
You