[Ecommerce] CBC story on UNESCO you know what...

[Manon Ress]

UNESCO passes cultural diversity pact
Last Updated Thu, 20 Oct 2005 15:18:31 EDT
CBC Arts
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/10/20/Arts/
UNESCO_culture_051020.html

As expected, the UN's cultural agency has overwhelmingly adopted a
new convention aimed at protecting cultural diversity worldwide.

Out of the 154 member states belonging to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 148 voted in
favour of the new pact, two opposed (the U.S. and Israel) and four
countries abstained (Australia, Nicaragua, Honduras and Liberia).

The vote took place Thursday during a week-long plenary session at
UNESCO's Paris headquarters.

The convention aims to protect cultural products =96 for instance a
nation's film, music and publishing industries =96 from the rules
governing international trade. The aim is to recognize that a
country's cultural activities, goods and services have more than
commercial value and to allow nations to take measures they deem
suitable to protect and support their culture.

The most vocal opposition to the new convention has come from the
Americans, who have fought the pact's proponents =96 most notably
Canada and France =96 until the end.

     * FROM OCT. 18, 2005: UNESCO poised to protect cultural diversity

The U.S., which rejoined the cultural agency in 2003 after a 19-year
absence, had put forward numerous amendments to the text, but they
were rejected almost unanimously by the other member states. Two of
the main arguments from the U.S. were that adoption of the convention
would amount to a curtailing of its right to freedom of expression
and that it could restrict U.S. cultural exports worldwide.

To officially take effect, the convention must now be ratified by 30
countries.


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

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