Shanghai Statement

Seventh Annual Ministerial Meeting
International Network on Cultural Policy
Shanghai, China, October 14-16, 2004

Participating members: China, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Cuba, France, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Malaysia, Morocco, Mozambique, Norway, Portugal, Senegal, Switzerland, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Observing Members: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine and United Kingdom.

Special Guests: Afghanistan, Estonia, India and Iran.

Intergovernmental Organization: UNESCO, European Commission, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, United Nations Development Programme, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the Council of Europe.

The Seventh Annual Ministerial Meeting of the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP) was held in Shanghai, China, from October 14 to 16, 2004. Twenty-one Ministers of Culture, 18 observing members, and representatives from six International Organisations participated.

Mr. Sun Jiazheng, Minister of Culture of the People's Republic of China and this year's President of the INCP, chaired the discussions. Subjects of particular interest included issues and challenges related to traditional culture and modernization, the UNESCO preliminary draft of the International Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions, and new trends and issues in cultural policy.

Ministers welcomed three new members to the INCP: Belgium, Chile and Denmark, bringing the total number of INCP member countries to 63.

Three main themes were discussed at this meeting:

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Traditional Cultures and Modernization

As the general theme for this year's meeting, Ministers discussed the issues and challenges relating to the preservation and the development of traditional cultures in the context of modernization. They referred to the study prepared by China, which explored the issue in terms of protection and rescue, inheritance and innovation, and cultural exchange and cooperation.

Ministers called for the effective protection and appropriate use of cultural heritage in the course of modernization and to make it a source of inspiration and driving force for individual and social development. Ministers stressed the need of the INCP member states to enhance cooperation and exchange in the preservation and enhancement of traditional cultures, and further, promote international cultural diversity. Ministers also stressed the need to find balance between innovation and the protection of vulnerable forms of expression, as well as the need to identify elements that threaten or challenge traditional cultures and those that relate them to social cohesion and make them relevant.

International Convention on Cultural Diversity

Ministers welcomed the work of UNESCO on the Preliminary Draft text of the Convention for the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions and the launch of the intergovernmental process at UNESCO. They reiterated their commitment to support UNESCO in every way possible throughout the process and stressed the need for INCP member countries to be coherent in their approach to the Convention, particularly as countries are expected to submit written comments on the first preliminary draft text produced by UNESCO by November 15, 2004. Ministers noted the urgency of reaching agreement on a Convention at the UNESCO General Conference in 2005, due to the speed of liberalization efforts.

Ministers encouraged INCP members to harmonize their positions to have a coordinated approach to the Convention.

INCP Ministers recognized and supported a number of key elements that are the core of the Convention, including the recognition of: the dual nature of cultural goods and services; the sovereign right of states to adopt measures to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions; the link between cultural diversity and sustainable development and the specific needs of developing countries; the need for the Convention to take its rightful place within the international legal system, creating no hierarchy between instruments; and the respect of human rights as a fundamental principal of cultural diversity. Ministers recognized the importance of placing human beings at the centre of this discussion. There was also widespread recognition of the need to coordinate approaches to the Convention within national governments between Ministries of Culture, Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Ministers also welcomed comments and the contribution from the representative of UNESCO, and interventions of l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Council of Europe. Their contribution represents growing cooperation between the INCP and International Organizations working in the cultural field.

Ministers considered a number of questions that require further policy discussion. These included: the scope of the Convention; the relationship of the Convention to other international instruments; and the follow-up mechanisms and dispute settlement procedures.

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Ministers congratulated the INCP Working Group on Cultural Diversity and Globalization (WGCD&G) on having fulfilled its Opatija mandate. They agreed to extend the mandate of the WGCD&G for an additional year, and called upon it to:

• Continue to support the work of UNESCO at every opportunity;
• Consider specific policy questions related to the Convention, as mentioned above;
• Continue to promote information-sharing, discussion and cooperation among member states;
• Continue to work internationally to advocate the adoption of an effective Convention in 2005.

Building the Future - Emerging Cultural Policy Trends and Issues

Ministers discussed two papers prepared by the INCP Liaison Bureau: a discussion piece requested by Ministers in Opatija on interculturality, and a paper which examines both the role of culture in sustainable development and the concept of cultural liberty, as elaborated in the United Nations Development Programme's 2004 Human Development Report -- two issues that have raised considerable international interest in 2003-04.

Ministers were also presented with a paper produced by South Africa on media ownership, the role of the public broadcaster and cultural diversity in the era of globalization.

Ministers stressed that the INCP should continue to explore emerging issues in the cultural field.

Dialogue with Civil Society Representatives

Ministers had the opportunity to engage in a rich discussion with members of civil society as they met with representatives of the International Network on Cultural Diversity (INCD) and of the International Joint Liaison Committee of the Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IJLCCCD).

INCD representatives reported on the conclusions of the meeting of their international steering committee held in Shanghai from October 11 to 15, 2004, while IJLCCCD presented Ministers with the results of their advocacy work throughout the year. Both organizations presented their recommendations with regard to the UNESCO Convention.

Ministers congratulated both organizations for their work and stressed the importance of continuing dialogue between civil society and governments. Ministers drew from the discussion the importance of the audio-visual sector, in particular, the film industry and expressed their wish that the INCP further address this issue. Ministers also noted, as a result of this discussion, that cultural expression transcends exclusively trade and commercial aspects, and has a fundamentally human dimension.

Conclusion

Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the significant impact of the work undertaken by the Network since its inception in 1998.

In adjourning, the Ministers promised to continue these, and other discussions at their next meeting in Senegal in 2005. Senegal proposed culture, social cohesion and sustainable development as the theme of the 8th Annual Ministerial Meeting to be held in Dakar.

Brazil confirmed that it will take on the presidency of the INCP in 2006 and, will host the 9th Annual Ministerial Meeting. Spain indicated that it will host the 10th Annual Ministerial Meeting in 2007.

Ministers thanked China for its warm welcome and the work undertaken in presiding and hosting this year's Annual Ministerial Meeting.

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