Discover the complete program of our 7th congress which will take place on June 3rd and 4th in Paris (in person and online). It will be divided into two phases with, on the one hand, thematic conferences, and on the other hand, the annual general meeting of the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity.

The online event is open to all.

Access the online event

The program times are given in Paris, France (UTC +2).

Saturday, June 3, 2023

8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.: Arrival of participants

9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.: Opening of the conference

• Welcome by Guillaume Prieur, General Secretary of French Coalition for Cultural Diversity
• Speech by Ernesto Ottone, Assistant Director-General for Culture for UNESCO
• Welcome by Beat Santschi, President of the IFCCD
• Welcome by Marie-Julie Desrochers, General Secretary of IFCCD

9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.: After MONDIACULT: Regional perspectives: challenges in implementing the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions 

What are the priorities for the diversity of cultural expressions in each region? After four years without a face-to-face gathering and nearly three years under the sign of a pandemic with serious consequences for the cultural milieu, it is urgent to take stock of the priorities of IFCCD members according to their region. In addition, in September 2022, 150 states signed a declaration at the end of the largest global cultural policy conference in 40 years, Mondiacult. It recognized culture as a global public good for the first time. It also includes calls for the creation of a sustainable development objective specific to culture, for action in the digital environment and for renewed reflection on cultural rights. How is this declaration received by civil society? What impact can it have on the work of organizations active in the work of the 2005 Convention? 

Moderator: Marie-Julie Desrochers, General Secretary of IFCCD

• Mahamadou Adamou, President of the Nigerian Coalition for Cultural Diversity (NCCD), Vice-President of the African Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity and Treasurer of the FICDC (Africa)
• Holly Aylett, Director of the British Coalition, Administrator of the IFCCD, and  research fellow at Birkbeck College London (Europe)
• Alejandra Diaz, representative of the Paraguayan Coalition for Cultural Diversity (Latin America)
• Rowan Woods, representative of the Australian Coalition for Cultural Diversity, Board member of the IFCCD, Asia-Pacific region, and Film and TV Director; academic, President of Australian Directors Guild (Asia-Pacific)

10:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.: Break

11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Renewing the forces within the Federation: avenues of reflection

The IFCCD has been actively involved in the work of the 2005 Convention for 15 years. The number of Coalitions and their dynamism has varied over the years and across regions. Several factors have an impact on civil society’s ability to mobilize. How can the Federation, with limited means and resources, maximize its support to civil society actors who wish to mobilize? But also, how can members be more mobilized and involved in the work of the Federation? How can we ensure the sustainability of this essential and recognized organization, but one that faces many challenges?

Moderator: Marie-Julie Desrochers, General Secretary of IFCCD

• Holly Aylett, Director of the British Coalition, Administrator of the IFCCD, and  research fellow at Birkbeck College London (Europe)
• Madhura Dutta, Director & Lead – Research and International Collaborations, Contact Base, India (online)
• Anthony Abdel Karim, President of the Lebanese Plastic Artists Club (CAPL), (online)
• Solange Moraes, Brazilian Center for Cultural Diversity, Brazil (online)
• Annie Njock, General Secretary of Collective of Experts and Cultural Entrepreneurs (CODEC), Cameroon
• Helena Vasques de Carvalho, (online), Portugal

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch

1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.: Role and importance of civil society in the work of the 2005 Convention

The 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is unique because of the special place it gives to civil society in the work carried out by the Parties. This is a valuable feature, but it comes with several challenges. State support for civil society varies greatly from region to region, leading to inequities and disparities in access to different processes and bodies. The lack of capacity to coordinate the efforts of civil society organizations in general, and in the organization of the Civil Society Forum in particular, hinders effective dialogue that could benefit the Parties. In this discussion, we will explore possible courses of action that could be put in place to promote effective and fair participation of Civil Society in its relationship with the Parties. 

Moderator: Holly Aylett, Director of the British Coalition, Administrator of the IFCCD, and  research fellow at Birkbeck College London

• Klara Kostal, Austrian Point of Contact to the UNESCO Convention “Diversity of Cultural Expressions”, Austrian Commission for UNESCO
• Boniface P. Sagbohan, General Secretary of Beninese Coalition for Cultural Diversity
• Beat Santschi, President of the IFCCD and member of the Steering Committee of the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity
• Toussaint Tiendrebeogo, Secretary to the UNESCO 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural  Expressions

2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.: Understanding and promoting discoverability: an essential lever for the diversity of cultural expressions?

2:15 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.: Speech of Madona Radi, Director General, International Trade, Canadian Heritage

The preservation of the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment is a concern for civil society and a majority of States. Access to cultural content now almost always depends on leading companies, which use various methods to recommend and organize the content they offer on their platforms, often in the greatest opacity. The term discoverability, which refers to the capacity of a content to be found by those who were looking for it, but also by those who were not looking for it, but are likely to appreciate it, has emerged in the last few years.  If the first sectors to be affected were undoubtedly those of the audiovisual and music industries, all disciplines are now concerned by the phenomenon. Between algorithmic and human recommendations, what are the mechanisms to activate to stimulate the discoverability of content? Between cultural and media actors, platforms, legislators and audiences, who has a role to play and what is it? Are there already local initiatives to highlight and set up as models? From an international perspective, how can we encourage dialogue and the sharing of best practices?

Moderator: Marie-Julie Desrochers, General Secretary of IFCCD

• Véronique Girard, Program specialist Digital and culture, “French Language and Diversity of Francophone Cultures” Directorate at International Organisation of La Francophonie (online)
  • Sitography on Discoverability 
• Annie Njock, General Secretary of Collective of Experts and Cultural Entrepreneurs (CODEC)
• Guillaume Prieur, Director of Institutional and European Affairs of the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (SACD), General Secretary of French Coalition for Cultural Diversity, and Secretary of the IFCCD
• Bill Skolnik, co-chair of  Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expression (CDCE), Canada 

3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Break

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Fair culture: a movement to be built in complementarity with existing international tools

The potential and benefits of fair trade have long been known and recognized. But is it possible to transpose this concept, its values and principles to the cultural and creative industries sector? In 2021, at the request of the German UNESCO Commission, the UNESCO Chair on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions produced a study on the subject: Fair Culture: A Key to Sustainable Development? Based on both the 2005 Convention and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this study explores the possibility for this concept to complement existing international instruments in order to foster a global cultural ecosystem that strengthens human rights, improves the mobility of artists and enhances their working and living conditions. Since the launch event held in conjunction with Mondiacult in the fall of 2022, the concept aspires to become a movement. An editorial board is already working on a charter. During this discussion, we will learn more about the concept and its implications, and then about the governance of the start-up movement. The floor will then be given to civil society to explain how it intends to appropriate this concept, give it life and how it constitutes a potential lever for strengthening the diversity of cultural expressions.

Moderator: Beat Santschi, President of the IFCCD and member of the Steering Committee of the Swiss Coalition for Cultural Diversity

Presentation: Véronique Guèvremont, Full Professor at the Faculty of Law of Université Laval and holder of the UNESCO Chair on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions 

• Marina Ezdiari, expert in corporate social responsibility (CSR) at Audiens
• Friederike Kamm, Programme Specialist Culture at the German Commission for UNESCO
• Kodjo Cyriaque Noussouglo, Vice President for Africa of the IFCCD, and President of the Togolese Coalition for Cultural Diversity
• Luanda Smith, Founder and CEO of Creatividad y Cultura Glocal A.C.
• Anupama Sekhar, Member of the Panel of Experts of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity
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5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. : International Perspectives on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

In current debates on artificial intelligence (AI), the impact of this technology on finance, medicine, transportation, among other subjects, is often analyzed, but the cultural dimension is rarely mentioned. However, this omission is quite surprising, as cultural expressions represent one of the main sources of information for AI systems, and AI is now used to create works of art of all kinds. In a context where more and more voices are calling for the construction of a human-centered artificial intelligence, it becomes urgent to place the cultural perspective at the heart of the discussions. What opportunities and challenges does AI present for artists, cultural industries, and audiences? What are the implications in terms of copyright when a work has been created by AI? What contribution can cultural sectors make to the debate on algorithmic biases, as well as to national AI policies? 

Octavio Kulesz is a philosopher, digital publisher, and director of Teseo, one of the leading electronic publishing houses in Latin America. As a researcher, his work focuses on issues related to cultural diversity and creative industries in the digital age. Several of his articles have contributed to the development of national digital culture policies in various countries. In 2020, he was selected by UNESCO, along with 23 other international experts, to work on the draft of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the first global normative instrument on this key area. 

6:00 p.m. : Cocktail reception, thanks to the support of Audiens

Sunday, June 4, 2023

8:30 a.m.: Arrival of participants

9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Start of the General Assembly

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Lunch

 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: Meeting of the newly elected IFCCD Board of Directors

With the support of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (Canada), the French Coalition for Cultural Diversity, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, the Government of Canada and the organization Audiens.