One of the key clauses adopted as part of this Convention (certainly from the perspective of the so-called developing world) is Article 18 which establishes an International Fund for Cultural Diversity. Parties to the Convention are invited to “provide voluntary contributions on a regular basis towards the implementation of this Convention”, with such a Fund potentially playing a major role in investing in the development of the creative industries in the south, and providing access to markets in the global north.
Yet, since the adoption of the Convention in 2005 and notwithstanding the list of signatories which now stands at one short of 100, in the last four years, only 14 countries have contributed towards this Fund, with the total contributions being a paltry US$1 321 145.10 - probably less than the catering bill of the meeting at which the Convention was adopted!
While many countries may have bilateral relationships and probably believe that their funds can be more efficiently invested through such bilateral relationships, the insignificance of this fund at the moment calls into question the political commitment and political will of the signatories which raises the further question: is the Convention doomed to suffer the same toothless fate as numerous other international instruments?
Below, is an imaginary cabinet meeting in the north – a sketch which I penned for the publication After the Crunch, a collection of articles on the potential impact of the economic recession on the creative sector.
A CABINET MEETING, SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE…..
Finance Minister:
So then, to conclude this item gentlemen…and ladies…it is likely that we will
be in recession for the next five quarters. We are all going to have to tighten
our belts a lot more. Every department is going to have a budget cut in the
next financial year. Except Defence, of course. Thank you.
Prime Minister:
That’s not exactly what we wanted to hear. And with an election due in eleven
months, this is a rather frightening forecast. At the end of this meeting, we’ll
set up a cabinet subcommittee to look into this matter of the elections and the
recession. So, moving along, the next item on the agenda is our contribution
to the International Fund for Cultural Diversity….
Arts Minister:
(clearing his throat, embarrassed) Er, yes, that’s me.
Finance Minister:
Why’s this even on the agenda?
Arts Minister:
Well, we…er…signed the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and
Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions…
Sports Minister:
(drily) That’s a bloody long name for a Convention….
Prime Minister:
Well, it is UNESCO….(general laughter) What’s the connection to this
International Fund?
Arts Minister:
All signatories - especially in the developed world – commit themselves to
contributing to an International Fund to help grow the creative industries of the
third world….
Finance Minister:
(sighs) More handouts…
Prime Minister:
Who else signed?
Arts Minister:
Everyone…except the US…
Environment Min:
They never sign anything…..
Arts Minister:
And Israel.
Defence Minister:
Good for them!
Arts Minister:
That was in George’s time. Obama has included an allocation to the arts as
part of his stimulus package.
Finance Minister:
Well, maybe superman Obama gets some things wrong!
Defence Minister:
You can take the African out of Africa…but can you take Africa out of the
African?
Finance Minister:
Well, clearly, we can’t make any contribution now….
Arts Minister:
We signed this two years ago…our contribution’s due…
Finance Minister:
(irritated) With all due respect, the world economy is in recession. It is not
exactly the time to be throwing money at non-essentials like the arts. And
especially in developing countries like Africa which are a huge black hole
anyway…(laughs) if you’ll excuse the pun.
Trade Minister:
If I may come in here…trade in cultural goods and services has actually been
among the most dynamic sectors in global trade in the last decade.
Prime Minister:
Really?
Trade Minister:
I’ve got the figures right here. The average annual growth rate in this sector
was close to 9% from 2000-2005. In 2003, the turnover of European creative
industries was 654 billion Euros, and employed more than 5,6 million people.
Arts Minister:
Even in the developing world, exports of creative goods grew from $51 billion
in 1996 to $274 billion by 2005.
Finance Minister:
So why do we need to contribute to a global Fund? They seem to be doing
okay….
Arts Minister:
Because most developing countries are not yet operating anywhere near their
potential in this regard. They need investment, expertise, expansion of
markets….
Finance Minister:
(cutting in) We’re cutting the budgets for our own opera and ballet companies.
How are we going to explain to them that we’re supporting music and dance
in…in…Timbuktu?
Foreign Minister:
The annual budget for our national opera is probably more than the total arts
and culture budget of Mali…
Finance Minister:
What does Mali have to do with this?
Foreign Minister:
It’s where Timbuktu is…
Finance Minister:
Oh…
Arts Minister:
And Mali has a very significant music industry. Which could do even better
with a bit of help.
Finance Minister:
Why would we want to help them? At a time like this we should be looking
after our own, surely!
Prime Minister:
Especially with an election coming up!
Defence Minister:
That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? How is the Mali music industry going to secure
our seats – not just in this Cabinet – but in Parliament?
Arts Minister:
May I remind you that this Cabinet took a decision a few years ago to support
cultural diversity as a key component of our security strategy?
Defence Minister:
I was against it then, I’m against it now.
Arts Minister:
Maybe. But most of us agreed that in a post-9/11 world, and after the London
bus bombings, we need to place more emphasis on building a multi-cultural
society and a multi-cultural world.
Defence Minister:
I still think it’s bollocks. You don’t see Israel signing cultural diversity
agreements to ensure its security. It invests in the hardware they need to
protect themselves! And then they use it! None of this limp-wristed soft
power, cultural diversity crap!
Home Affairs Min:
For me, the question is…even if we have the funds to invest in the developing
world…are the creative industries the place to be doing this? It’s a key part of
our strategy to invest in the developing world to provide their people with jobs
there, so that we wouldn’t face this wave of immigration, which creates this
diversity issues, and with these, the security problems.
Prime Minister:
This is getting more complicated….
Sports Minister:
Let’s set up a Cabinet subcommittee to look at it….then the rest of us can get
a drink.
Prime Minister:
(ignoring the Sports Minister as usual) As I understand it, there are three
issues here. The first is about cultural diversity in terms of global trade in
cultural goods and services. And it seems as if trade in this area could help to
stimulate the economy.
Trade Minister:
Correct.
Prime Minister:
The second issue is about cultural diversity as a security issue…assimilating
migrant communities into our way of life and value system so that they don’t
plant bombs and do other nasty things…
Defence Minister:
I say bomb them back!
Prime Minister:
And the third issue is about creating jobs in the developing world to counter
the wave of economic migrants to our shores….
Home Affairs:
That’s right.
Prime Minister:
We can’t fund all of these like we used to, or maybe like we would like to. So
the question is…what are our priorities?
Defence Minister:
Security. Definitely security.
Finance Minister:
It has to be the economy. Without a strong economy, our security is
vulnerable.
Arts Minister:
We’re vulnerable anyway….unless we deal with issues of cultural diversity.
Prime Minister:
(impatiently) We’re going around in circles….
Sports Minister:
Can we take a comfort break?
Still continuing…..
One of the roundtables at the forthcoming World Summit on Arts and Culture will deal with the Convention. As with many such instruments, the challenge is to civil society to use it for advocacy purposes, to act in terms of its Articles, and to prevent the Convention from being just another collection of good intentions.
It seems to me that the main reason behind the 2005 convention was in any case to justify cultural subsidies (promoted by French-speaking countries in particular) in spite of Free Trade agreements. Developing countries were courted in the early phase through promises of support but now it's achieved the main aim for some of the wealthier countries they may be less interested in paying their side of the bargain!!