Article 21 on international consultation
Under Article 21 of the Convention (International consultation and coordination), Parties undertake to promote the objectives and principles of the Convention in other international forums. Thus, Parties consult each other on this matter as appropriate, enabling them to assert the objectives of the Convention in existing or new international agreements.
The Conference of Parties, at its 3rd session in 2011, decided to carry out an inventory of experiences and practices related to this promotion, requesting that the Secretariat compile an annual compendium of cases wherein the Convention is invoked or utilized in other international forums.
For the collection of information, the follow activities were carried out:
- Consultations in 2011, 2012 and 2014, to which 54 Parties participated, representing 40% of them;
- Analysis of 71 quadrennial reports submitted since 2012;
- Research and analyses conducted that provided additional information.
The Parties have a very broad understanding of the definition of an international forum, sometimes comprising fora that are not solely dedicated to cultural matters. Parties use and cite the Convention to, for exemple :
- intervene in international forums, whether or not they advance cultural objectives;
- strongly affirm the objectives and principles of the Convention in cultural and trade agreements (whether they be bilateral, regional, or multilateral);
- consult other Parties when signing new bilateral agreements that address the objectives and principles of the Convention;
- engage in dialogue with States not party to the Convention to encourage ratification;
- pursue advocacy activities arguing for the inclusion of culture in development agendas.
In order to exchange information and share knowledge, the Secretariat:
- Created in November 2012 an online platform gathering documents directly linked to the application of article 21 and regularly updated;
- Presented 5 reports to the Governing Bodies of the Convention in 2011, 2012, two in 2013 and 2014.
Related documents and events
These consultations also helped to identify documents and events that make specific reference to the objectives and principles of the Convention. The information collected is now available for consultation and will lead the way for the creation of a database on the promotion of the Convention in international fora.
Consolidating the inventory
Parties are consequently invited and encouraged to share experiences and practices, by submitting relevant documents and information on events to the Secretariat. Other stakeholders (international organisations, civil society ...) are equally invited to participate in this information collection effort.