Proposals for the implementation in Switzerland of the UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
A common project of the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity and the Swiss Commission for UNESCO
The Project
The UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions – A first step towards its implementation in Switzerland
Encourage creation, support production, stimulate dissemination and promote access to cultural expressions of the most diverse kinds are the objectives of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted in Paris in October 2005.
It is the ambition of the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity and the Swiss Commission for UNESCO to ensure the achievement of these objectives in our country.
On the initiative of the Coalition and the Commission, civil society has supported the Swiss authorities in the international negotiation of the UNESCO Convention. Civil society then actively participated in the process that led to the Convention's ratification by Switzerland. With this first report, it is now involved in the implementation of the Convention, as it will also be involved in the implementation of the measures proposed. (See the preface of the report).
The Report
This report was compiled together by the Swiss Commission for UNESCO and the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity, mainly for Swiss purposes. The purpose of this English translation is to show an example of how civil society can contribute to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention of 2005, notably by consulting professionals in culture on possible cultural policy measures at national level for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.
These proposals are the result of a joint reflection carried out by some sixty players active in the fields of culture, communication, education, cooperation and the economy, all concerned to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions in Switzerland and worldwide. They do not claim to reflect the entire scope of Swiss culture or to provide answers to all current and future challenges. They are not an end in itself, but want to be the launching pad for a longer-term implementation process.
As the analyses and recommendations of the eight groups of experts were sometimes considerable, some texts had to be rewritten and shortened. The integral studies sector by sector are available as PDFs (only in their original version: French or German) on this website.
Chapters of the Report Download: english version | german version | french version (900 kB each) Order the printed report: info@coalitionsuisse.ch
Preface to the printed Report
The UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions – A first step towards its implementation in Switzerland
Encourage creation, support production, stimulate dissemination and promote access to cultural expressions of the most diverse kinds are the objectives of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted in Paris in October 2005.
It is the ambition of the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity and the Swiss Commission for UNESCO to ensure the achievement of these objectives in our country.
On the initiative of the Coalition and the Commission, civil society has supported the Swiss authorities in the international negotiation of the UNESCO Convention. Civil society then actively participated in the process that led to the Convention's ratification by Switzerland. With this first report, it is now involved in the implementation of the Convention, as it will also be involved in the implementation of the measures proposed.
This commitment is based on the key provision of Article 11 of the Convention: “Parties acknowledge the fundamental role of civil society in protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions. Parties shall encourage the active participation of civil society in their efforts to achieve the objectives of this Convention”.
On October 16, 2008, Switzerland became a Party to the Convention. A year later, to the day, the Coalition and the Commission is proposing, with this report, a catalogue of measures so that its international commitment can be translated into action at the national level.
These proposals are the result of a joint reflection carried out by some sixty players active in the fields of culture, communication, education, cooperation and the economy, all concerned to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions in Switzerland and worldwide. They do not claim to reflect the entire scope of Swiss culture or to provide answers to all current and future challenges. They are not an end in itself, but want to be the launching pad for a longer-term implementation process.
At a time when the diversity of cultural expressions is increasingly under pressure through the development of a global monoculture, it is essential to recognize clearly that cultural activities, goods and services are not just commodities. Films, books, music, media are also vectors of identity, of sense, of values. The Convention allows each State to protect and support cultural professionals, products and industries. It also encourages them, in a spirit of solidarity, to support the efforts of developing countries in this regard.
The task is enormous, complex and demanding, but also full of promise and opportunity. It requires a broad combination of skills, knowledge and experiences, and thus close collaboration between cultural players, authorities and the private sector. With this report, we wish to initiate a discussion and encourage all concerned parties to take up what is at stake in the Convention, together.
We would like to express our deep gratitude here to all those who supported and accompanied this process, especially the Rapporteur-General, experts, and editors of this report.
Francesca Gemnetti
President of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO
Beat Santschi
President of the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity
Diego Gradis
Vice-President of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO
Vice-President of the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity
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