IAF recently participated in the 17th Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The IGC is one of the two governing bodies of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
During the four-day meeting, the Committee considered and made decisions on various issues that are relevant to IAF’s work protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment.
The Committee shared the results of the call for experts regarding the establishment of a reflection group on the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment.
The reflection group, comprised of 18 candidates, will concentrate on the promotion of linguistic diversity in cultural content, the discoverability of national and local cultural content on digital platforms, the importance of greater and meaningful transparency on digital platforms regarding cultural issues, and the impact of artificial intelligence on cultural and creative industries. The recommendations will be presented at the eighteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee.
IAF took the floor at the plenary and made a statement in support of the call for experts and introduced the IAF AI principles.
The Committee reiterated its commitment to the vital role that civil society plays in protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions, as civil society provides the necessary knowledge to ensure that the Convention is implemented in a way that is inclusive, effective, and based in human rights.
The Secretariat took note of the recommendations that civils societies stated during the 4th edition of the Civil Society Forum and ensured that they will be taken into consideration by the parties.
IAF will keep representing the voice of authors in this forum, by strengthening its collaboration with other civil societies involved in the 2005 Convention and raising awareness around the importance of the promotion and protection of diversity of cultural expressions around the world.
