Cultural Diversity
Québec and the diversity of cultural expressions
Québec is the only region in the Americas with a French-speaking majority. It occupies a unique position in this vast space dominated by Anglo-American culture, a situation which has led the Québec government to devote considerable efforts to protecting and promoting Québec’s culture. It has adopted a cultural policy and a number of measures to support this sector.
In the mid-1980s, changes were made to international trade rules. These modifications represented a challenge to policies and measures that governments had established to support their cultural industries. In an attempt to respond to that threat, the Québec government expressed its commitment to the establishment of an international instrument that would:
- recognize the legitimacy of public investment in culture;
- assert its importance in maintaining the diversity of cultural expressions.
The Québec government worked actively in various international forums to promote this project, including:
- OIP (International Organization of La Francophonie)
- INCP (International Network on Cultural Policy)
- UNESCO
Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
The international instrument that Québec sought was achieved through the adoption of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions on October 20, 2005 at UNESCO. Québec played a significant role in devising the convention and currently participates in its implementation within the Canadian delegation to UNESCO under the Québec-Canada Agreement on UNESCO.
This international legal instrument :
- recognizes that cultural activities, goods and services have both an economic and cultural nature. They convey identities, values and meanings and must not be treated as solely having commercial value.
- reaffirms the rights of sovereign states to :
- maintain and implement cultural policies.
- adopt measures for international cooperation the diversity of cultural expressions.
- fosters internationale Zusammenarbeit in order to create conditions favourable to promoting the diversity of cultural expressions.
The Convention recognizes the fundamental role of civil society in the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. The Québec government works with the Coalition for Cultural Diversityin this regard. Initially established by Québec’s cultural community, the coalition has expanded across Canada and become a leading player in the creation of the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD).
Reminder
- Québec was the first government to support the Convention with a unanimous vote by the National Assembly on November 10, 2005.
- A few days later, Canada became the first country to ratify it.
- The Convention went into force on March 18, 2007.
- By February, 2011, 115 governments, including the European Community, had ratified the Convention.
Government Secretariat for Cultural Diversity
In the early 2000s, the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec created the Government Secretariat for Cultural Diversity. Its mandate includes:
- Providing advice to ministerial and government authorities;
- Taking part in interdepartmental consultations with other Québec departments directly associated with cultural diversity issues;
- Providing expertise on the links between commerce and culture;
- Overseeing research work and studies;
- Providing an international culture monitoring service through a website and news bulletin on the diversity of cultural expressions.
