[Ecommerce] UNESCO Convention story in the Guardian

[Manon Ress]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
the Guardian Unlimited site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk

October 19, 2005

Global plan to protect film culture
Jon Henley in Paris
Wednesday October 19 2005
The Guardian


The UN's cultural agency, Unesco, is expected tomorrow to approve a
convention that will allow countries to protect their cultures from
globalisation, despite bitter opposition from the United States.

A Franco-Canadian initiative, which has won broad backing as a swipe
at US "cultural imperialism", could mean that countries will be able
to subsidise domestic film industries and restrict foreign music and
content on their radio and television stations in the name of
preserving and promoting cultural diversity.

A commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation late on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favour
of the text and the body's general assembly, meeting in Paris, is
expected to follow suit tomorrow.

The US, supported only by Israel, filed 27 amendments in an
unsuccessful bid to water down the resolution, criticising it as
"flawed", "ambiguous" and "protectionist". France, which has long
defended its right to a "cultural exception", could barely conceal
its delight. "We are no longer the black sheep on this issue," said
the culture minister, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, adding that the
text was "a clear recognition" that cultural goods such as film, TV
programmes and music are not "merchandise like any other" and should
be treated separately in world trade talks.

Even Britain has abandoned its traditional allies in Washington by
backing the majority line on the 40-page convention. This states that
cultural goods and services have a "distinctive nature" and that
states have a right "to maintain, adopt, and implement policies and
measures they deem appropriate for the protection and promotion of
the diversity of cultural expressions on their territory".

The text, likely to be approved by a majority of Unesco's 191 member
states, must be formally ratified by at least 30. It can then be
applied in World Trade Organisation talks on cultural goods. The
British ambassador to Unesco, Timothy Craddock, speaking for the EU,
said the draft was "clear, carefully balanced, and consistent with
principles of international law and fundamental human rights".

************************************************
Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org,
www.cptech.org

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