DECISION ON THE FORMULATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
ON THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Executive Council:
REAFFIRMS the imperative need to preserve and promote cultural diversity as an integral part of the culture of peace, security, stability and development;
STRONGLY SUPPORTS the process initiated at UNESCO to formulate and establish an International Convention on Cultural Diversity by the Year 2005;
ALSO SUPPORTS, as recommended by the ACP Ministers of Culture in their Dakar Declaration of 20 June 2003, the adoption by UNESCO of an International Convention on the Protection of Non-Material Cultural Heritage;
RECOMMENDS that these two Conventions be given the necessary support as was accorded to the 1972 International Convention on the World Natural and Cultural Heritage;
APPEALS to Member States to desist from any commitment to WTO liberalization of cultural services, goods and products and to avoid jeopardizing the effectiveness of the instruments aimed at promoting and supporting cultural diversity;
REQUESTS the Director General of UNESCO and the Secretary General of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) to take all appropriate measures to ensure the adoption of these conventions by their respective organizations;
REQUESTS the Chairperson of the AU Commission to monitor this issue and report thereon at the next session of the Council.