Preface
Dr. David Streiff
Director of the Federal Office of Culture
A member of the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP)
since its inception in 1998, Switzerland quickly decided to become
fully involved in the forum’s activities, recognizing in its
informal dimension and the quality of its representation the opportunity
for a full and constructive exchange. We expressed this intention
by offering to assume the INCP presidency in 2001, replacing Greece.
Under the leadership of Ms Ruth Dreifuss, Federal Councillor and
Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, we thus had the
honour and pleasure of receiving the ministerial delegations and
observers from 24 member countries, along with the representatives
of 3 international organizations, at the Fourth Annual Meeting of
the INCP Ministers of Culture, held in Lucerne from September 24
to 26, 2001.
The Federal Office of Culture, which I head, was fully involved
in the preparation of this meeting, and the content in particular.We
thus contributed throughout 2001 to the various working groups that
came out of Santorini, site of the 3rd meeting of INCP Ministers
in 2000, with a renewed mandate. We also set ourselves, in keeping
with the responsibility imposed by the INCP presidency, the task
of developing a specific theme, that of «managing cultural
diversity,» which was the subject of fruitful discussions
– first during the meeting of the Working Group on Cultural
Diversity and Globalization that we organized in Leysin in May,
then in Lucerne at the ministerial level – which are summarized
in the body of this report.
Organizing this 4th meeting also represented a significant part
of our activity. Lucerne’s heritage treasures, location and
facilities proved ideal for a successful meeting, as did the strong
and generous support from the local and canton authorities, whom
I would like to thank, and the people who welcomed us to Basel,
the showcase of Swiss art and history, during our excursion. I should
also mention the synergy that was created with the meeting of the
Forum Européen de Lucerne, which for 2 days welcomed some
of the main Swiss, European and global media figures to discuss
the problem of quotas, particularly in relation to cultural diversity.
The event, which focused primarily on the economy, gave the cultural
community, and the INCP in particular, an opportunity to share its
views with a wide audience of professionals and decision-makers.
I want to thank Ms Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage,
and Brigitte Mabandla, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Culture,
who while in Lucerne agreed to address this gathering at the same
time as Ms Ruth Dreifuss. It was also the coincidence of these two
events that gave the INCP Ministers present the opportunity for
a discussion with Mr. Moritz Leuenberger, Federal Councillor and
President of the Swiss Confederation in 2001, during a reception.
The portrait of Lucerne, which for a few days was a veritable cultural
capital, would not be complete without mentioning the second, soon
regular, link established with civil society by the holding of the
annual assembly of the International Network on Cultural Diversity
(INCD), a group of non-governmental organizations, which we helped
organize. For the second time, the INCP and the INCD thus agreed
to a rendezvous. Switzerland was convinced of the value of such
an exchange and thus wanted to leave enough time on the agenda for
this direct exchange of views, which unquestionably nourished both
forums.
As for the meeting itself, I think that it will leave its mark
on the INCP, like the one that will lead to an international instrument
on cultural diversity. When this report reaches you, during the
Fifth annual meeting of the INCP Ministers of Culture in Cape Town,
it is noteworthy that the «Lucerne process,» as it would
please me to call it, will have succeeded beyond our expectations,
and I congratulate myself for the contribution that Switzerland
was able to make in 2002, in particular by heading a Special Policy
Research Team on the governance of such an instrument.
I would like to end by mentioning the passing of the INCP presidency
from Switzerland to South Africa, host of the 2002 ministerial meeting.
Although the geographical representation within our network is not
what it could be, the place occupied by the developing countries
is nevertheless significant, which reflects the value of the INCP,
a singular forum without equivalent in the cultural sector, in both
its work method and composition, among other things. Everybody’s
voice counts, and I am convinced that the commitment of South Africa
today, and Croatia and Tunisia tomorrow,will strengthen my feeling.
My final thanks go to the entire team from the INCP Liaison Bureau
for their patience and kindness and for their invaluable support
right up to the last line of this report.
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