ORAL REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMISSION IV

Transcription

1 Conférence générale 30e session Document d information inf Paris 1999 General Conference 30th Session Information document Conferencia General 30 a reunión Documento de información 30 C/INF November 1999 Original: English ORAL REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMISSION IV Mr Chairperson of Commission IV, Distinguished Delegates and Colleagues, It is my privilege and responsibility to report to you on the debates and decisions taken in Commission IV where we considered Major Programme III: Cultural development: the heritage and creativity; the Transdisciplinary project: Towards a culture of peace, Unit 3: From interculturality to cultural pluralism; preparation by UNESCO for the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations (item 4.10); The transatlantic slave trade and slavery: a crime against humanity (item 4.11); Intellectual works of universal value that have fallen into the public domain and are regarded as forming part of the common heritage of humanity (item 4.13); Proclamation of 21 March as World Poetry Day (item 4.14); Arabia Plan (item 4.15); Draft Convention concerning the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (item 7.5). Organization of the work of the Commission In addition, the following reports and information documents were tabled by the Secretariat for examination by the Commission: the Report by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on its activities ( ) (30 C/REP.13); the Report by the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation on its activities ( ) (30 C/REP.14); the Report by the Director-General on the activities of the International Fund for the Promotion of Culture ( ) (30 C/INF.3); the Information document on the databases concerning the illicit traffic in stolen cultural property (30 C/INF.5); the Follow-up to the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development: Stockholm (30 C/INF.7); and

2 30 C/INF.54 - page 2 the Preparations by UNESCO for the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations (30 C/INF.8). The full text of the decisions and recommendations adopted by the Commission are contained in the written report which you have before you. My oral report will therefore be an attempt to synthesize the substance of the Commission s debates and to highlight significant points where the Commission has amended, clarified or provided guidance for the implementation of UNESCO s general programme during the upcoming biennium. Because my report is a synthesis of the decisions reached by consensus in Commission, I will not mention the names of the specific Member States which took part in the discussion unless such a mention has been specifically requested by the Member State concerned or is otherwise exceptionally warranted. I would however like to thank my colleagues on the Commission for their contributions to the debate and which has made my work in preparing the oral and written reports of the Commission an intellectually stimulating process. I thank the officers and members of the Commission for the trust they have placed in me to report on our proceedings and I hope that I will be able to do justice to this trust. With that introduction, let me proceed with my report. The Chair of the Commission, Mr Vassilis Vassilikos of Greece, opened the meeting and reminded the distinguished delegates that the discussions should be inspired by the indepth reflections stemming from the Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development and the UNESCO World Culture Report, the Stockholm Conference on Cultural Policies and the recent round table of Culture Ministers on the theme of culture and creativity with regard to globalization. He expressed the wish that the debates will take place in a spirit of mutual understanding. Election of the Bureau After this introduction to the work of the Commission, the Chair was turned over to Mr Djenno-Okoumba, Chairperson of the Nominations Committee. The Commission elected by acclamation as Vice-Chairpersons Mr T. Aflak of Iraq, Ms H. Niec of Poland, Ms J. Miller of the Dominican Republic (replaced by Mr Carlos Santos), and Mr C.A. d Almeida of Togo. I had the honour to represent my country, Sri Lanka, by serving as Rapporteur. Adoption of the timetable Following the election of the officers of the Commission, the Chair reviewed the provisional agenda which divided the work of the Commission into three debates: the first on Major Programme III as contained in the Draft Programme and Budget; the second on Jerusalem (30 C/12 and Add.); and the third on UNESCO in the twenty-first century (30 C/INF.12 and 30 C/49). The agenda was adopted without modification. Several delegates, however, did note that the cramped conditions of Room IV in which the Commission met, as well as the short time allotted to interventions permitted for each delegation placed inherent limitations on the debate. I trust that in the future the Secretariat will find ways to rectify these shortcomings in the logistical arrangements for the Commission. Debate 1 The representative of the Director-General, Mr Hernán Crespo-Toral, Assistant Director-General for Culture, gave an overview of Major Programme III, of its contents and

3 30 C/INF.54 - page 3 linkages. Culture, as Mr Crespo-Toral explained, is the heart of the human development equation and has a unique and key role to play in UNESCO s programme. Item 3.3: Major Programme III and Transdisciplinary project: Towards a culture of peace During the course of debate 1, 94 delegates of Member States and four representatives of international non-governmental organizations took the floor. Delegates expressed support for the draft programme as contained in document 30 C/5 and commended the Secretariat for the new format for the presentation of the programme, especially insofar as it presents results-based programming and regional implementation strategies with concrete action foreseen. However several speakers noted that the rhetoric according central importance to the culture programme was not reflected in the budget allocated to the programme. Most of the delegates referred to the Stockholm Plan of Action for Cultural Policies as the basis which must guide both the implementation of UNESCO s programme for culture in the upcoming biennium , and the formulation of the next Medium-Term Strategy However, a number of speakers felt that the articulation between the draft programme as presented and the Stockholm Action Plan was not specific enough. Several speakers expressed the concern that there may be some parts of UNESCO s programme which belong more properly to Major Programme III than to the programme in which they are currently placed. In particular, delegates requested better integrated transsectoral implementation of activities pertaining to: (1) the preservation of the world s linguistic heritage; (2) the Memory of the World programme; (3) artistic education; (4) equity of access to new technologies, especially those involving cyberspace, and to the content of information on the Internet; and (5) the work of the Institute of Statistics in support of the indicators being developed for the World Culture Report. They also asked for closer cooperation with the principal organizations concerned with issues related to culture and development. Numerous delegates referred to the positive results of the Round Table of Culture Ministers which took place on 2 November. Delegates expressed satisfaction that the new Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict is being adopted by States Parties and this has given renewed vigour and relevance to that Convention and empowered its contemporary application. Two delegates also underscored the importance of signing the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit, Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and of the activities of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation. In connection with paragraph 17 of the report of this Committee (30 C/REP.14), at the request of one delegate and with the joint agreement of the delegations of the two concerned States, this paragraph is replaced by the following text: In response to concerns about the cultural heritage in the northern part of Cyprus, illicit trafficking in the southern part of the island of Cyprus was raised by a delegate who also referred to the mission undertaken in 1989 by the Council of Europe in the island and the report of June Another expert reminded the participants that UNESCO, as a

4 30 C/INF.54 - page 4 Specialized Agency of the United Nations system, was bound by Security Council resolution 541 (1983) and could not therefore carry out a mission in the northern part of Cyprus. The discussion reflected two different points of view on the safeguarding of cultural property in Cyprus and on the status of the authorities in that region. Support was also given to the promotion of the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the World Heritage Centre was commended for its work. However, numerous delegates expressed concern that the World Heritage List was not yet sufficiently representative of the diversity of the world s cultural and natural heritage and expressed the need for an improved geographical balance. With the view to enhancing the protection of creative artists, delegates requested the Secretariat to step up promotion, and particularly training efforts to ensure the universality of the legal instruments protecting copyright and neighbouring rights, including the Universal Copyright Convention and the Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist. Several speakers also referred to the need of carrying out a preliminary study on the opportunity of a new standard-setting instrument for the protection of traditional culture and folklore. Several delegates referred to the importance of UNESCO support to regional or countryspecific actions to document, safeguard and promote living cultural practices. It was considered that UNESCO should assist Member States to develop these practices into significant and sustainable cultural industries, for the purposes of poverty alleviation and economic development. In this connection, numerous delegates stressed the importance of the promotion of crafts and cultural tourism in the respect of the cultural specifics of each community. Similarly, the role of arts festivals was highlighted and one delegate recalled UNESCO s support for the Music Festival Sharq Taronalari in Samarkand. The Commission also noted the key role played by women in the transmission of culture to future generations and several speakers endorsed the project Living Human Treasures recognizing the role of these eminent artists as teachers for the younger generation. In the conduct of these activities to educate, train and mobilize communities for culture, several delegates underscored the importance of regional strategies in the construction of UNESCO s programme. In this respect, the Commission supported the programmes for specific regions and culture areas including: Focus on the Caribbean, Focus on the Pacific, Priority Africa, Arabia Plan and the newly proposed initiatives for the Caucasus. In the context of these strategies, numerous delegates also spoke on the importance of completing the History of Civilizations of Central Asia, the General History of the Caribbean, the General History of Latin America and the work on the different aspects of Islamic culture, which are in various stages of completion, and of follow-up activities envisaged for the dissemination of the General History of Africa. Several draft resolutions were presented with a view to reintegrating these projects in document 30 C/5. UNESCO s activities for the International Decade of Indigenous People were evoked by several speakers and the point was made that UNESCO s role was not vigorous enough. One speaker suggested a mid-term evaluation of UNESCO s programme in this field.

5 30 C/INF.54 - page 5 Other items examined during debate 1 The Commission examined two items (4.10 and 4.11) directly linked with the Transdisciplinary project: Towards a culture of peace. Item 4.10 The importance of UNESCO s contribution and lead role in the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations was emphasized by delegates, as were the Routes or Roads programmes to promote intercultural dialogue. In this connection the Commission examined new proposals, such as the Ruta del Arte project in the Andean region and the Road to Carthage project. Some delegates expressed concern that programmes designed to promote interreligious dialogue might be misconstrued as not falling into the secular mandate of the Organization. Other delegates on the contrary stressed the importance of religion in the intercultural dialogue as an important factor of building a culture of peace. Item 4.11 Strong support was expressed in the Commission for the Declaration of Slavery: A Crime against Humanity and for UNESCO to lead a global examination of the roots and causes of the transatlantic slave trade with a view to understanding how such a tragedy can be prevented from ever re-occurring. I should like to recall that within the same debate a series of separate items were also discussed. The reflections made thereon complemented and enriched the specific remarks concerning the Draft Programme and Budget. They were as follows. Item 4.13 This item of the agenda, concerning intellectual works of universal value that have fallen into the public domain and are regarded as forming part of the common heritage of humanity, aroused controversial views. The Commission decided by vote not to recommend for adoption a draft resolution submitted in this connection. Item 4.14 The Commission expressed enthusiasm for the proclamation of 21 March as World Poetry Day, and many delegates announced foreseen activities in their respective countries to promote poetry on this day. Item 4.15 As regards item 4.15, Arabia Plan, several delegates highlighted the importance of the proposed programme for the promotion of contemporary literary, artistic and scientific Arab culture. It was pointed out that such a programme will strengthen UNESCO s mission of promoting tolerance and mutual respect between peoples. The Commission decided to recommend to the General Conference to approve the draft resolution (30 C/COM.IV/DR.7) submitted in this connection, in the light of the Director-General s comment.

6 30 C/INF.54 - page 6 Item 7.5 Delegates supported continued work towards the adoption of a new convention concerning the protection of underwater cultural heritage and expressed the hope that a draft convention on this matter could be presented to an upcoming session of the UNESCO General Conference. The corresponding draft resolution to this effect, was revised by a working group. The spirit of consensus in which that group had worked was stressed by several delegates. General conclusions of debate 1 Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen, In order to complete this chronological account of our discussions on debate 1, I now would like to report on several issues which figured prominently and repeatedly in delegates interventions concerning both the draft programme and the other items of the agenda. The first of these relates to the need for strengthening UNESCO s standard-setting action. A majority of speakers underscored UNESCO s important and unique role in this regard. Repeatedly concerns were raised that resources devoted to standard-setting actions, including support to existing conventions and the drafting of new international instruments, may not be sufficient to accomplish all the many tasks in hand or to ensure that action to promote international standards actually result in concrete activities at the field level. A second main issue was the paramount importance of preserving and promoting cultural diversity. Numerous delegates considered that in the light of the impact of globalization and with regard to Programme III.2 on the development of cultural industries, UNESCO should take a leading role in the affirmation of cultural diversity in order to ensure that the specific nature of cultural and artistic creation is duly taken into account. The promotion of living cultures and of languages, as the vehicle of diverse cultural expressions, were regarded by delegates as in particular need of a carefully planned strategy. Finally, the challenge of mobilizing communities, and above all youth, for and through culture appeared as the third major issue of the debate. The essential role that UNESCO has to play in the integration of culture into community development strategies, and the transmission of cultural practices to youth who are the essential stakeholders and beneficiaries of development action, was underscored by many speakers, in particular those from Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The Appeal by the Director-General for the promotion of arts education and creativity at school as part of the construction of a culture of peace was applauded by a large number of delegates and a number of practical proposals were made on how to implement such arts education programmes. Repeatedly the Secretariat was encouraged to work intersectorally in youth related activities such as arts education, Reading for All and the promotion of intercultural dialogue among youth.

7 30 C/INF.54 - page 7 Reply by the representative of the Director-General and adoption of the Commission s recommendations Following the interventions of the delegates, the representative of the Director-General made a thorough reply to the issues raised during the debate. Mr Crespo-Toral acknowledged the guidance which the Stockholm Action Plan must give to the formulation of Major Programme III, as well as the action carried out under Unit 3 of the Transdisciplinary project: Towards a culture of peace which UNESCO must play as the key intergovernmental forum for policy debate of the entire range of cultural issues, from heritage preservation to the protection of cultural and linguistic diversity to the promotion of copyright and cultural industries. He highlighted the Secretariat s role to support regional and international networks for the exchange of information on the Culture Sector and in building new alliances between sectors of society, bridging the gaps between the world of culture and the world of finance and management. He remarked that the World Culture Report will be an important tool in this endeavour. Mr Crespo-Toral stressed the direct link that the protection of the heritage has with the promotion of creativity in living cultures. In this regard he recalled the importance of documenting and protecting bodies of traditional, indigenous knowledge; the need to develop endogenous cultural industries based on this traditional knowledge; and the key role of artistic education in this process. Finally, Mr Crespo-Toral spoke about the importance of safeguarding cultural diversity and promoting intercultural dialogue with a view to shaping a culture of peace. The Commission then examined 26 draft resolutions submitted by Member States concerning Major Programme III, Cultural development: the heritage and creativity as well as the Transdisciplinary project: Towards a culture of peace, Unit 3: From interculturality to cultural pluralism, in the light of the Director-General s comments contained in document 30 C/8 COM.IV and taking into account the recommendations by the Executive Board in document 30 C/6. With regard to the draft resolutions with financial implications, after a stimulating debate, the Commission reached a consensus based on the recommendations of the General Conference contained in document 30 C/INF.29. The recommendations on these draft resolutions are reflected in the written report of Commission IV. The Commission then examined the recommendations corresponding to the proposed resolutions in the Programme and Budget of Major Programme III, the Transdisciplinary project: Towards a culture of peace, and to the proposed resolutions submitted for items 4.1, 4.10, 4.11, 4.13, 4.14, 4.15 and 7.5. Before the adoption of these resolutions, Germany, supported by Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, stressed strong reservations with regard to the juxtaposition of the concepts of intercultural dialogue with interreligious dialogue, emphasizing that the latter does not fall within UNESCO s mandate. He proposed that paragraph of the Transdisciplinary project: Towards a culture of peace be

8 30 C/INF.54 - page 8 amended to take into account the Executive Board s decision in this regard at its 155th session. This proposal was put to vote and was not retained by the Commission. Debate 3 The sixth and seventh meetings of the Commission were devoted to debate 3 on UNESCO in the twenty-first century (item 4.1 of the agenda with reference to documents 30 C/49, 30 C/INF.12, 30 C/COM.I-II-III-IV/DR.2 and 30 C/COM.IV/DR.6) in order to allow the working group on Jerusalem (item 7.5) to meet and reach a consensus. The item on UNESCO in the twenty-first century was introduced by the representative of the Director-General, Ms Francoise Rivière, Assistant Director-General, Bureau of Studies, Programming and Evaluation. She outlined the thinking which has taken place in regard to UNESCO in the twenty-first century and how this should be reflected in the programme and budget of the Organization. Ms Rivière emphasized that while new global trends presented new challenges in the field of culture as well as in the other sectors of UNESCO s mandate, there were also new opportunities to be grasped if the Organization can be sufficiently bold and visionary, refocusing its programme on strategic entry points where its comparative advantage is greatest. Mr Michel Agnaïeff (Canada), Chairperson of the Executive Board s Task Force on UNESCO in the Twenty-first Century, explained the work undertaken to date, as reflected in documents 30 C/49 and 30 C/INF.12. He also emphasized the importance of identifying strategic niches and for establishing criteria to govern the choices to be made in setting UNESCO programme priorities. A refocused programme also implies an updating of the management structure of the Organization. During the debate, delegates from 27 Member States and representatives of three nongovernmental organizations took the floor. One delegate communicated the conclusions of the UNESCO Youth Forum on this agenda item. There was general consensus that as a consequence of the Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development, the Stockholm Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development and other related initiatives, it is clear that culture must play a more central role in UNESCO s programme overall. To achieve this, intersectoral linkages need to be much more systematically developed, and the distribution of work between the sectors needs to be re-examined and possibly revised. In particular, delegates expressed the opinion that activities with respect to archives as well as the Memory of the World programme, currently housed in the Communication Sector, and actions for the preservation of linguistic diversity, currently with the Education Sector, should become the responsibility of the Culture Sector. Several delegates suggested the possibility of a complete restructuring of UNESCO s programme away from the sectoral approach, towards a different grouping of activities based on the type of action required, such as education and training or promotion and dissemination. A suggestion was made that the Delors and de Cuéllar reports should be examined together with a view to developing a synthetic approach to the common issues raised in each of them. By way of identifying strategic entry points where UNESCO has a comparative advantage, delegates spoke of a wide range of possibilities, including:

9 30 C/INF.54 - page 9 the further development of UNESCO as an intellectual clearing house and forum for intercultural policy debate at the highest levels; UNESCO s continued relevance in setting international norms and standards of social justice; the responsibility of the Organization to work for the eradication of poverty, and in particular, the role of cultural industries and crafts in this respect; the recognition that youth are the principal stakeholders in the world s future and thus should be the principal beneficiaries of UNESCO s programmes; the recognition that the Organization needs to put a greater effort towards the protection and development of indigenous people s cultures and their intellectual property rights, as a key part of the effort to protect and ensure the world s cultural diversity. Delegates pointed out that to achieve success in any of the above endeavours, the Organization must open up its structures towards greater cooperation with other agencies of the United Nations family, other intergovernmental organs, representatives of civil society and the mobilization of local communities. Several delegates also pointed out that a major effort needs to be made to increase UNESCO s visibility to the public at large and to its principal potential partners. Some delegates observed that the budget of the Organization would have to be quite radically reallocated to meet these new priorities and new structures. Many speakers questioned the large proportion of the budget which is now devoted to staff and indirect costs, and expressed the desire to see a more action- and field-oriented agenda of work. But above all, delegates spoke of the ethical role of the Organization as its unique contribution to the international community and felt that the heart of the comparative advantage of the Organization lies in a reaffirmation of its original mandate to build the defences of peace in the minds of men, through the promotion of a culture of peace, based on a democratic respect for cultural diversity. In his response to the debate, the representative of the Director-General, Mr Crespo- Toral, reiterated the Secretariat s determination to heed the advice of the Commission in drafting the Medium-Term Strategy He noted the Commission s request to reexamine the division of labour between the Culture and Communication Sectors, and the Commission s encouragement to develop further and deeper partnerships with representatives of civil society. He noted that UNESCO as an intellectual forum should be the host to the major international intellectual and policy debates of the twenty-first century - including those concerning cultural identity, dialogue among cultures, the battle against poverty, culture and cyberspace, new concepts of heritage, and new cultural rights. He welcomed the delegates request for better focused, interdisciplinary action and transsectoral approach to programming. Mr Crespo-Toral took up the delegates call to engage culture in the fight against poverty and exclusion, citing the cultural industries, cultural tourism, access to knowledge,

10 30 C/INF.54 - page 10 promotion of artistic expression, management training, and the Internet as arenas of culture where the battle against poverty will take place. Following the response of the Director-General s representative, the Commission considered 30 C/COM.IV/DR.6 (which replaced 30 C/COM.I-II-III-IV-V/DR.1) calling for a heightening of the priority given to culture in UNESCO s future actions and an increase in the human and financial resources devoted to this programme and 30 C/COM.II-III-IV-V/DR.2 on the eradication of poverty. The Commission recommends that the General Conference adopt these two resolutions in extenso as part of the Records of the General Conference. Debate 2 The eighth meeting of the Commission was devoted to debate 2: Jerusalem and the implementation of 29 C/Resolution 22 (item 4.3 of the agenda with reference to documents 30 C/12 and Add. and 30 C/COM.IV/DR.8 Rev.). A Working Group presided by the Chairperson of the Commission was established to reach a consensus on the revision of 30 C/COM.IV/DR.8: Jerusalem and the implementation of 29 C/Resolution 22. The revised draft resolution invites the Director-General to send an expert on mission to Jerusalem to prepare a report on the needs of the Old City and the surrounding area with regard to the protection of the environment and the cultural heritage therein. The expert s report is to be presented to the Executive Board at its 160th session. The Commission recommends that the General Conference adopt the revised draft resolution 30 C/COM.IV/DR.8 Rev. Madam President, In conclusion to this report, I wish to express my sincere thanks to all those who have facilitated my task: the representative of the Director-General and his colleagues, the Secretary of the Commission and his staff and last but not least, the interpreters, translators and technicians without whom we would not have had any debate!