The international policy tools seen by non-state actors

Antonios Vlassis, Researcher, Université de Liège.

The Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the Coalitions for Cultural Diversity

Introduction

Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) adopted by UNESCO in 2005

Recognition of the specificity of cultural goods and services and of the importance of cultural policies; reinforcement of the international cultural cooperation.

Creation of a transnational network of cultural groups, the Coalitions for Cultural Diversity.

The International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity totals so far 43 Coalitions.

Introduction

The adoption of the CDCE supposes the rise of a regulatory interdependence of actors in the cultural sector that aims to structure the international cooperation.

Does the implementation of international norms influence the behavior of NGOs ? Do these actors affect the evolution of the implementation of the norms ?

Three main objectives.

1. Building an international tool and the quest of recipients

International trade integration

Negotiations GATS-WTO (1993), NAFTA (1994), MAI-OECD (1998).

Liberalization of cultural sector vs. cultural exception

Late 1990s: from cultural exception to cultural diversity.

Transnationalization of culture groups

Creation of the Canadian and French Coalitions for cultural diversity in 1999.

International Meeting of

Cultural Professional Associations, 40 culture organizations from ten countries, September 2001, Montreal.

1. Building an international tool and the quest of recipients

Establishment of three platforms:

International Liaison Committee (March 2003),

European Committee of Coalitions (2005),

International Federation of the Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (2007).

Three mechanisms of action:

a. Organization of International Meetings: Paris 2-4 February 2003, Seoul 1-4 June 2004, Madrid 9-11 May 2005.

b. Organization of conferences/seminars and publication of the newsletter “Coalitions currents”: Newsletter sending to more 700 organizations in 90 countries; Seminars at UNESCO: « Why should UNESCO adopt a convention on cultural diversity? » (September 2003); « The challenges of the future convention » (September 2004).

c. Lobbying, internal pressure diffusion of Coalitions position papers.

1. Building an international tool and the quest of recipients

The international trade integration had as result the emergence of the movement of Coalitions.

The CDCE required the transnationalization of culture groups as social partner for the building and the legitimacy of the Convention.

Article 11 of the CDCE, “Parties acknowledge the fundamental role of civil society in protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions. Parties shall encourage the active participation of civil society in their efforts to achieve the objectives of the Convention”.

2. The implementation of the CDCE: Change of scale and return towards the national sphere

By the mid of 2000’s and the structural crisis of WTO, the United States preferred bilateralism and eclectic multilateralism.

The movement of Coalitions and especially the French and Canadian Coalitions have turned towards national and European sphere where the institutional and policy evolutions affect strongly their interests.

Protocol of Cultural Cooperation (European Commission) and persistence of an old split.

Return of the cultural exception.

The discourse of coalitions is marked by concerns about the "trade-culture" interface.

Conclusion

The Coalitions are a major actor for the building of the CDCE, while the implementation of the latter creates a lack of interest from the Coalitions and a strategic turning towards the national sphere.

The link between the international policy tools and the NGOs should be understood in interaction with other actors and especially the national governments and we need to take into account the context in which resources and strategies unfold.

1. Reciprocal legitimization 2. Asymmetry of resources and control of the agenda 3. Circumstantial transnationalization