Photo © Cyril Bailleul/Unesco
From 17 to 20 June, the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD) took part in the 10th session of the Conference of Parties (CoP) to the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
The Federation was represented by a four-member delegation composed of Holly Aylett from the UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity (UKCCD), Kodjo Cyriaque Noussouglo from the Togolese Coalition for Cultural Diversity, Hélène Messier from the Canadian Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE), and Marie-Julie Desrochers, Secretary General of the IFCCD. This ensured a strong presence throughout the proceedings and the collective voice of civil society actors represented by the Federation was clearly heard.
The IFCCD welcomed the commitments made by the Parties towards coordinated international action in the digital environment, notably:
- Continuing work toward the adoption of a binding additional protocol on the digital environment;
- Reviewing the operational guidelines for implementing the Convention in the digital environment;
- Reaffirming the importance of Article 16 on preferential treatment, which aims to strengthen North-South and South-South cooperation as well as balanced exchanges of cultural goods and services.
FCCD Interventions during the 10th Conference of Parties
Throughout the proceedings, the Federation played an active role, contributing substantively to discussions on items 5, 6, 7, 8.a, 8.b, and 9 of the agenda.
Item 5 – Report of the Secretariat on its activities
The IFCCD commended the Secretariat’s work during this pivotal year, particularly highlighting the steady progress in ratifications, with the Convention now counting 158 Parties plus the European Union. The Federation encouraged Parties to strengthen their support for the Secretariat and welcomed its intention to mobilise its broad network of civil society partners in preparation for the next Mondiacult conference, to be held in Barcelona in September 2025.
Item 6 – Quadrennial periodic reports: submission of new reports
The IFCCD welcomed the record number of periodic reports submitted and the growing contribution of civil society to these efforts. It also stressed the importance of these reports as vital sources of information to strengthen advocacy for recognising culture as a key objective of sustainable development.
Item 7 – International Fund for Cultural Diversity
In a context of ongoing financial constraints, the IFCCD underlined the imperative to prioritise funding for direct support to cultural projects. It also reiterated its support for the recommendation to establish an alternative mechanism allowing National Commissions to forward project proposals without prior evaluation when resources are limited.
Item 8.a – Report on the recommendations of the Reflection Group on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment: Implementation plan for the recommendations adopted by the Committee
The IFCCD expressed its support for the implementation plan put forward by the Secretariat for recommendations 2 to 11. It underscored the need to keep civil society at the heart of this process to ensure that grassroots realities are fully integrated into measures promoting the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment.
Item 8.b – Comparative analysis on the effectiveness of various legal options explored by the Reflection Group, including technical and legal aspects of a protocol
The IFCCD reiterated its support for the adoption of an additional protocol to the Convention and advocated for the adoption of a general declaration by the Conference of Parties in the near future – for instance, at Mondiacult 2025.
Item 9 – Report on the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Reflection Group on the implementation of Article 16 on “Preferential Treatment for Developing Countries” and implementation plan of the recommendations adopted by the Committee
The IFCCD supported the implementation plan for the recommendations on Article 16 and called on Parties to allocate the necessary resources to bring them to life. It referred to the priorities expressed in the joint declaration adopted by Francophonie culture ministers last May in Quebec City.
The next major international gathering related to the 2005 Convention will be Mondiacult – the largest global conference on cultural policies and development – taking place at the end of September in Barcelona. The IFCCD Secretariat and several members will be in attendance, including for parallel events on the official programme and participation in the Civil Society Forum: Agora Civique.
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