Working with the 2005 Convention - A new strategy to put culture at the heart of EU international relations
The new EU “Strategy for international cultural relations” was formally adopted and presented on 8 June 2016 by the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. It aims at encouraging cultural cooperation between the EU and its partner countries and promoting a global order based on peace, the rule of law, freedom of expression, mutual understanding and respect for fundamental values.
The new strategy, in particular, underlines that “As a party to the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, the EU is committed to promoting the diversity of cultural expression as part of its international cultural relations. This reflects and promotes the EU's fundamental values, such as human rights, gender equality, democracy, freedom of expression and the rule of law, as well as cultural and linguistic diversity”.
The 2005 Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, now ratified by 144 Parties, including the European Union in 2006, provides a key framework for policies on sustainable development and is a cornerstone of the EU's development cooperation policy. The EU has brought its strong support to the implementation of the Convention, in particular through the UNESCO/EU Expert Facility project, designed to strengthen systems of governance for culture in developing countries.
Re-emphasizing the importance of the Convention’s Preamble, which underlines the need to incorporate culture as a strategic element in national and international development policies, as well as in international development cooperation, the strategy calls upon the EU “to advance the ratification and implementation of the 2005 UNESCO Convention by deepening policy dialogues with partner countries and strengthening systems of governance”.
Referring to the findings of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics study, “The Globalisation of Cultural Trade: A Shift in Cultural Consumption-International flows of cultural goods and services 2004”, the strategy also notes the central role of culture in the new economy driven by creativity, innovation and access to knowledge: “In developing countries, the cultural and creative sectors contribute to promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth. Culture can therefore help promote job creation and competitiveness both inside the EU and beyond its borders. This is recognized in the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which underlines that culture, including world cultural heritage and creative industries, can have an important role in achieving inclusive and sustainable development”.
The release of this strategy comes in advance of the European Development Days, to be celebrated on 15-16 June 2016, in Brussels. On this occasion, Jyoti Hosagrahar, Director of the UNESCO Division for Creativity, will participate in the Conference “Culture, where art thou? In search of culture in the Sustainable Development Goals: From the UNESCO Convention 2005 to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
- Read here Joint communication "Towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations".
- Read here EU Press release.
- Read here UNESCO press release.
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