Ministers From 22 Countries Expected at Ottawa Meeting on Culture

OTTAWA, June 24, 1998 - Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps today announced that Ministers responsible for culture from 22 countries have accepted her invitation to attend the International Meeting on Cultural Policy, taking place in Ottawa on June 29 and 30.

"This meeting provides a unique opportunity for countries to discuss the importance of sustaining local and national cultures in an increasingly globalized and digitized world," said Minister Copps. "It is appropriate that Canada takes the lead in hosting this meeting, which I hope will be the first step in an ongoing forum to promote international cooperation on common cultural objectives."

The meeting brings together, for the first time, a cross-section of countries that represent both the northern and southern hemisphere, industrialized and developing economies and the world's cultural and linguistic diversity.

Nations that have confirmed their attendance at the meeting include Armenia, Barbados, Brazil, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Senegal, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The mee ting will consist of three sessions that link culture to the international stage. Each session will address a specific theme and will be chaired by a Canadian Minister. The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will chair a session examining the "Role of Culture in Global Relations." The Honourable Diane Marleau, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie, will chair a session on "Cultural Diversity and Development." Minister Copps will chair a third session on "Culture and Trade."

"Culture is an integral component of international diplomacy. Understood in the wider sense, it is a powerful force which can shape public opinion and advance issues internationally," said Minister Axworthy. "The recent success of the campaign to ban anti-personnel land mines is testimony to the results which can be achieved when artists and other members of civil society join forces with government in support of a common goal."

"Sustainable development cannot occur without taking into account cultural factors specific to each country," said Minister Marleau. "This meeting gives us the opportunity to exchange ideas and find ways to forge long-term relationships that favour a better understanding of the cultural context."

For Canadians, culture gives strength to our shared identity as citizens and enrichment to our collective vision as a nation. The Government of Canada is committed to putting culture front and centre on the global agenda and this International Meeting on Cultural Policy is an integral step toward that goal.

"Now more than ever, nations from every region of the world are discovering that globalization is not simply about trading commodities," said Minister Copps. "It is also about sharing our values and our ideas and recognizing that pluralism and cultural diversity are what make nations and, indeed, civilizations great."

The Ottawa meeting is a follow-up to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development, hosted by the Government of Sweden and held in Stockholm in March.

In support of the cultural ministers meeting, the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) is holding a one-day companion conference of non-governmental arts, cultural and development organisations from around the world, on Monday, June 30. The CCA meeting aims to develop international alliances which will foster cultural development and grass-roots support for the efforts of ministers and governments in the cultural domain.

Information
Jacques Lefebvre
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788

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BACKGROUNDER

OVERVIEW INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON CULTURAL POLICY
OTTAWA, JUNE 29-30

The International Meeting on Cultural Policy is an important step in Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps's strategy to bring nations together to discuss cultural issues of common interest. The meeting will provide a forum for the ministers of 22 countries to discuss the importance of national cultures in an increasingly globalized world and ways to increase cooperation on common cultural objectives.

As evolving technologies remove the constraints of national boundaries, distances and time zones, all countries are faced with the hard fact that cultural identity is becoming more valuable, yet more difficult to preserve. For Canada, the goal of expanding the availability of and access to the stories and voices of our own nation has been a priority since the advent of radio in the 1920s. With our experience in promoting national culture in the face of international pressure, Canada has become a leader in developing on measures to affirm cultural sovereignty in Canada and elsewhere.

As Minister responsible for cultural matters, Minister Copps, in conjunction with her colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lloyd Axworthy, has been working with her colleagues around the world, to focus international attention on the need to ensure that domestic cultural policies and the broader international agenda are fully taken into account.

Over the past year, Minister Copps has participated in a number of international conferences and has met with several foreign cultural ministers, including Ministers from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Greece, Italy, China, France, Tunisia, Norway, Finland and the European Union. They have discussed measures to preserve local and national cultures and to promote culture as a key component of sustainable human development.

Last March, Minister Copps led a delegation to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development, hosted by the Government of Sweden, in Stockholm. At that Conference, an Action Plan was drafted, which addressed three areas for international cooperation: to build a world of inter-cultural communications, information and understanding; to meet the challenges of globalization and technological change; and to promote the idea that cultural goods and services are unique from other goods and services.

The Ottawa meeting draws on the Stakeholder Action Plan agreed to by member states. At the conclusion of the Ottawa meeting, a final report will be prepared which will allow participating countries to continue to build international bridges of cooperation.

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