Mr Themba Wakashe Director-General Department of Arts and Culture Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions POST RATIFICATION STRATEGY

BRIEF BACKGROUND In 2001, INCP Ministers of Culture agreed to make a submission to UNESCO as the UN’s cultural body to develop a legal instrument on Cultural Diversity. The UNESCO Convention is a legally-binding treaty that will confirm the right of States to intervene in the cultural market. It is meant to give States the possibility to take measures they deem necessary for the protection and promotion of the flourishing of the diversity of artistic expressions. One of the purposes of the Convention is to prevent cultural life from being dominated by only a few players and to give consumers the possibility to choose from among the broad range of expressions that artists create and perform. On 20 October 2005, the UNESCO General Conference adopted the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions 2

INTRODUCTION South Africa is a member of UNESCO and the Department of Education is the lead department. South Africa serves on the Executive Board of UNESCO. The SA Ambassador to Paris, is also the SA permanent delegate to UNESCO. The SA National Commission for UNESCO, has a commission for Culture, that looks at the Arts and Culture Sector. The International Chief Director at DAC is appointed as Ex-officio Commissioner for Culture and serves on the Commission. South Africa plays an active role at UNESCO through the Africa Group, especially for lobbying support for promoting AU and NEPAD objectives. 3

SA / UNESCO South Africa ratified the Convention on Cultural Diversity in December 2006 and was the 37 th Country to deposit the instrument at UNESCO. The Convention came into force on the 18 th of March South Africa was elected to Chair the 1 st Conference of Parties (COP) in June 2007, under the chairmanship of Prof. Kader Asmal. At the 1 st COP meeting, SA was elected to serve on the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) of the Convention for 4 years. The 1 st Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) met in Canada in December 2007 and South Africa participated in the meeting. 4

1 st IGC ON THE CONVENTION The implications for South Africa as a member of the IGC are as follows: - To develop the operational guidelines for the Convention; - To establish an international fund for Cultural Diversity as per the provisions of the Convention; - To identify new arrangements for International Cooperation; - To ensure the participation of Civil Society in the implementation of the Convention; and - To develop a post ratification strategy for the implementation of the provisions of the Convention; 5

POST RATIFICATION STRATEGY Review and update our national legislative framework to ensure alignment where there may be inconsistencies. Planned workshops nationally with all tiers of government to promote the Convention on Cultural Diversity and to encourage their active participation to achieve the objectives of the Convention. Planned workshops nationally with Civil Society. The effectiveness of the role of Civil Society will depend on its ability to obtain information from government about the measures planned to protect and promote cultural diversity, both nationally and internationally. Planned workshops with implementation agencies and associated institutions. The focus will be to align projects and programmes to promote cultural diversity and to protect and promote cultural expressions. 6

POST RATIFICATION STRATEGY Create a media plan and enhance relations with SABC to create broader public awareness and to facilitate information sharing and exchange. Develop a work plan with various disability agencies that deal with cultural practitioners (Office of the Presidency & Dept. of Social Development). Formulate a work plan with all provinces that have a large rural coverage and develop a database of all rurally based cultural practitioners e.g. Noria Mabasa and assessing infrastructure needs. 7

POST RATIFICATION STRATEGY Prepare a report and provide information to UNESCO every four years on the measures taken to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions in South Africa. DAC to set up a national steering committee that will monitor and implement the post ratification strategy on the Convention. The steering committee will be made up of representatives from both government and civil society. Support from the people is important for the Convention to work. We need to induce active participation and support from NGO’s, civil society and the mass media. These groups in particular should play a major role in disseminating the meaning and principles of the Convention to minority cultures at every level and in every genre. 8

MAJOR POST RATIFICATION MEETINGS The following sessions for members of the Intergovernmental Committee on the Convention has been scheduled: June 2008 Extra-ordinary session at UNESCO. To discuss the draft guidelines on the use of the resources of the international fund for Cultural Diversity. December nd Ordinary Session at UNESCO. To discuss the operational guidelines in conjunction with the use of the resources for the fund. 9

Thank You