2005/AD.06

April 2005 Tuesday 7 June 2005

Special Session of the Advisory Committee 9h00-11h15 Room IV – UNESCO 7 Place de Fontenoy - Paris (France) Metro: Ségur

Protection of the Diversity of Cultural contents and Artistic Expressions

ICOM is committed to the protection and promotion of cultural diversity of humanity. ICOM has developed its Museums and Cultural Diversity Policy by 1997. The theme of the triennial General Conference of ICOM in 1998 was Museums and Cultural Diversity. ICOM Advisory Committee meeting in June 2003 deliberated on the need to move further on the Cultural Diversity Policy including the convening of an international conference on the notion of an Inclusive Museum. These focussed strategic directions of ICOM are facilitated through its Cross Cultural Taskforce formerly known as the Working Group on Cross Cultural Issues. (http://icom.museum/diversity.html)

ICOM applauded and supported the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and its Action Plan, which was unanimously adopted by the member states in the post-September 11 environment on 2 November 2001. This standard setting action has become critical with the accelerated pace of all forms of globalisation and the consequent challenges of the protection and promotion of cultural diversity of humanity. The ethical commitment of UNESCO and its member states recognising for the first time cultural diversity as the ‘common heritage of humanity’ touched a deep chord with the membership of ICOM, one of the world’s largest professional heritage organisations and the most culturally diverse.

The membership of ICOM that works closely with UNESCO in safeguarding the heritage of the world has been following the process that has been put in place by UNESCO towards a binding standard setting instrument on cultural diversity. This Special Session of the ICOM Advisory Committee aims to discuss the preliminary report of the Director General of UNESCO containing two preliminary drafts of a Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions. English, French and Spanish versions of the drafts are attached for reading before the Special Session.

Amareswar Galla
Vice-President of ICOM

67th Session of the Advisory Committee Programme of the Special Session
Tuesday 7th June 2005 Room IV, UNESCO, Fontenoy, 7 Place de Fontenoy 75015 Paris

09h00-9h10: Preface and Welcome: Alissandra Cummins, President, ICOM

09h10 - 9h25: Introduction to the Draft of a Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural contents and Artistic Expressions: Moderator - Professor Amareswar Galla, Chairperson, Cross Cultural Taskforce and Vice President, ICOM

09h25 - 9h45: Katerina Stenou, Director, Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, UNESCO

09h45 - 10h00: questions

10h00 - 10h15: Steven Engelsman, Director, National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, The Netherlands

10h15 - 10h30: questions

10h30-10h45 : Corazan Alvina, Director, National Museum of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines

10h45 - 11h00: questions

11h00-11h15: Conclusion : Amareswar Galla

11h15 : End of the meeting

11h30: Separate meetings:

National Committees: Room IV, Fontenoy
International Committees: Room VI, Fontenoy

17h30: Meeting of the Chairs of Regional Organisations ICOM Meeting Room, 1st Floor, 26 rue F. Bonvin, 75015 Paris.