The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions


Book Description

The 2005 UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity is a landmark agreement in modern international law of culture. It reflects the diverse and pluralist understanding of culture, as well as its growing commercial dimension. Thirty diplomats, practitioners and academics explain and assess this important agreement in a commentary style. Article by article, the evolution, concepts, contents and implications of the Convention are analysed in depth and are complemented by valuable recommendations for implementation. In an unprecedented way, the book draws on the first-hand insights of negotiators and on the experience of practitioners in implementation, including international cooperation, and combines this with a good deal of critical academic reflection. It is a valuable guide for those who deal with the Convention and its implementation in governments, diplomacy, international organizations, cultural institutions and non-governmental organizations and will also serve as an important resource for academic work in such fields as international law and international relations.




The UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions


Book Description

This book fills a gap in the literature on how the UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions positions itself within the bigger field of public international law. Several studies have been undertaken regarding the relationship of this Convention with the trade regime. However, the drafting process of the Convention brought more than just trade issues to the forefront. It highlighted heritage law, human rights law, or development law issues as well. The book investigates to what extent the Convention has an impact on these various fields of law and thus clarifies the Convention's contribution to the fragmentation of public international law. (Series: International Law - Vol. 9)




Cultural Diversity in International Law


Book Description

The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) was adopted in 2005 and designed to allow States to protect and promote cultural policies. This book examines the effectiveness of the CDCE and offers ways by which its implementation may be improved to better attain its objectives. The book provides insight in how the normative character of the CDCE may be strengthened through implementation and increasingly recurrent practice based on its provisions. Hailing from various fields of international law, political and social sciences, the book’s contributors work to promote discussions on the practical and legal influence of the CDCE, and to identify opportunities and recommendations for a more effective application. Part One of the book assesses the effectiveness of the CDCE in influencing other areas of international law and the work conducted by other intergovernmental organizations through the recognition of the double nature (cultural and economic) of cultural goods and services. Part Two focuses on the practice of the CDCE beyond the recognition of the specificity of cultural goods and services in international law by addressing the CDCE’s call for greater international cooperation and stronger integration of cultural concerns in development strategies at the national and regional levels. The book will be of great use and interest to academics and practitioners in law, social and political sciences, agents of governmental and international organizations, and cultural sector stakeholders.




Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue


Book Description

This report analyses all aspects of cultural diversity, which has emerged as a key concern of the international community in recent decades, and maps out new approaches to monitoring and shaping the changes that are taking place. It highlights, in particular, the interrelated challenges of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue and the way in which strong homogenizing forces are matched by persistent diversifying trends. The report proposes a series of ten policy-oriented recommendations, to the attention of States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, international and regional bodies, national institutions and the private sector on how to invest in cultural diversity. Emphasizing the importance of cultural diversity in different areas (languages, education, communication and new media development, and creativity and the marketplace) based on data and examples collected from around the world, the report is also intended for the general public. It proposes a coherent vision of cultural diversity and clarifies how, far from being a threat, it can become beneficial to the action of the international community.




Our Creative Diversity


Book Description

Explores the interactions between culture and development and puts forward proposals in the form of an international agenda aimed at motivating people to recognize cultural challenges.




Freedom & creativity


Book Description




Practical Considerations for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage


Book Description

Practical Considerations for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage examines theoretical issues relating to intangible cultural heritage policy and practice, whilst also proposing practical ways to facilitate the safeguarding of such heritage. Providing guidelines for best practice that take into account the constraints of the UNESCO-ICH paradigm, Stefano examines the principles and practices of two alternative and largely non-UNESCO frameworks for sustaining living cultural traditions: the philosophy of ecomuseology, and the discipline of public folklore in the context of the U.S. Arguing that they offer more collaborative, equitable, and effective ways forward for safeguarding ICH, Stefano demonstrates how they can address the limitations of the UNESCO-ICH paradigm. Importantly, the book offers a personal perspective, grounded in the author’s public sector work, which allows the ICH discourse to move beyond critical analysis and explore realistic, alternative ways in which ICH can be collaboratively and equitably safeguarded. Practical Considerations for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage proposes guidelines for professionals, researchers, and communities that foster safeguarding approaches that are as unique and nuanced as ICH expressions themselves. The interdisciplinary nature of the book will ensure that it is useful to those interested in community-led ICH safeguarding, as well as the impacts of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention, in diverse geographic, political, economic, and sociocultural contexts.







The UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritag


Book Description

What do the Great Wall of China, Georgia's polyphonic singing, the Mediterranean diet and the Vanuatu sand drawings have in common? Despite their evident dissimilarity, they are all protected by UNESCO, the supranational organisation that is responsible for preserving the common cultural heritage of humanity, protecting it from disappearance and ensuring its conservation for future generations. The Great Wall of China is one of the natural and cultural sites that comprise the famous list of World Heritage Sites, compiled by UNESCO while the other three are part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage list that includes immaterial goods. In fact, in 2003, the UNESCO General Conference adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage with the intent to safeguard the traditional cultures and folklore of our planet. Today, over 400 practices and expressions from more than 100 countries represent the riches and demonstrate the cultural diversity of the populations in the world. Appearing on this variegated list of traditions are the art of the "pizzaiuoli" - the pizza makers of Naples, the Carnival of Basel, the Rebetiko music of Greece, Japanese kabuki theatre, Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration, the Brazilian capoeira, Chinese shadow puppetry and the mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith, Kumbh Mela. This book of photographs and splendid illustrations will guide you on your discovery of the Intangible Cultural Heritage list; a journey that will open your eyes to the cultural riches of our planet and to the importance of preserving them for future generations. AUTHOR: Massimo Centini graduated from the University of Turin's faculty of Literature and Philosophy with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. He is a professor of Cultural Anthropology at the People's University Foundation in Turin and has collaborated with universities and museums in Italy and abroad, including the Centre for African Archeological Studies in Milan, the Cesmeo in Turin, the Swiss museum, Vallemaggia and the Ethnographic Art section of the Natural Science Museum of Bergamo.




Intangible Cultural Heritage and Intellectual Property


Book Description

The intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of the world's communities is an inheritance that has been passed down through many generations. Its survival, however, is increasingly threatened by the realities of post-modern society, such as rapid urbanization, large-scale migration, severe environmental change, and globalization. In 2003, the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage recognized the importance of ICH, both as a mainspring of cultural diversity and a source of sustainable development. Early efforts to implement the Convention are bringing to light issues that are crucial to the survival of ICH. Many of these involve its interaction with intellectual property law. To clarify the relationship between these two fields, this present volume gathers the views of scholars and practitioners with diverse expertise and national backgrounds. They examine four main issues: the construction and operation of ICH inventories; the conceptualization of the "community" as a holder of ICH; how to obtain the community's prior informed consent; and the pros and cons of various regulatory regimes. With the book's variety of contributions, the common thread is the belief that regulatory regimes must be designed so that ICH will not only be safeguarded in archives and museums, but also in its living form.