On the 20th of October 2005 UNESCO’s General Conference adopted the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
This event represents a crucial step in the long process for recognizing the equal dignity of each culture and for acknowledging cultural diversity as a “common heritage of humanity”. Italy ratified this Convention in 2007.
In our globalized world, where cultures run the risk of fading away, UNESCO has intervened with an international legal instrument that defends cultural diversity and guarantees the value and meaning of all creative expressions representing our societies’ pluralistic nature.
The text of the Convention was written after a long and intense negotiation process among UNESCO’s 192 member States to which Italy has worthily and constantly contributed. With this important Convention, and for the very first time, culture has been integrated within the framework of international law. In particular, the Convention embraces three crucial principles:
it recognizes the specific nature of cultural goods and services
it reaffirms the sovereign right of each State over its cultural policies
it strengthens international cooperation and solidarity, particularly towards developing Countries so as to increase their capacity to support their cultural expressions and preserve their heritage.
The Convention counts on two bodies: the Conference of State Parties, its sovereign body, and the Intergovernmental Committee, which consists of 24 representatives of State parties, elected by the Conference.
