Re|shaping cultural policies

Book excerpt: Anniversaries are a time for reflection and planning. The 10th anniversary of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions provides its Parties and non governmental stakeholders with a significant opportunity to recall its origins, critically review the achievements and, on this basis, form an ambition for the implementation of the Convention for the next ten, twenty, even thirty years. One of the questions asked during this anniversary year is whether or not the implementation of the Convention reflects the vision of its authors. In other words, has it led to the positive changes its drafters envisaged? What steps have been taken to reach the four main goals of the Convention: support sustainable systems of governance for culture; achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase the mobility of artists and cultural professionals; integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks; and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. This new Global Report series presents evidence on the implementation of the Convention goals, with a proposed set of indicators to monitor change and progress over time. Based on the quadrennial periodic reports submitted so far by Parties, as well as other sources, this maiden edition is a first effort to take stock and share information on the challenges encountered, in particular in emerging policy areas, such as digital, public service media, preferential treatment as well as gender and artistic freedom. It investigates how cultural policies may have been re-shaped as a result of efforts to implement the Convention. This Report is also intended to provide evidence for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.