The draft of UNESCO's convention on cultural diversity has been adopted in its compromise form, as expected. It half reflects the European demand that it has to be binding towards other conventions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and half reflects the United States' demand that it not hurt the rights and obligations of other agreements. Following the June 3 inter-government meeting in Paris that adopted the draft, it will finally be determined in October of this year whether the document is adopted at the 33rd UNESCO general assembly. It is clear that from now on there will be an intense cultural war between countries that want to preserve and promote the world's unique cultures and those that are cultural commercialists, who seek to make money with culture as their means.
The US is already making clear it opposes the document, citing its interests, because it is highly likely that the entry of its culture industry into international markets will be frustrated if it takes precedence over the authority of the WTO. It would appear that is the reason the US proposed additional negotiations immediately after the draft appeared. Seeing how the draft is called "preliminary," there is no assurance that additional negotiations could make even the compromise a unilaterally American proposal.
The Korean government's vague attitude continues to be a problem. The European Union, Canada, China, India, Brazil, and other countries are in favor of the draft and criticize the US's attitude for seeing culture only as something for commerce, but our government says vaguely only that it "does not oppose" the document. That reads as an attempt to not go against the spirit of the agreement while simultaneously trying to avoid offending the trade power that is the US. Culture, however, is enriched in mutual "exchange" and not when unilateral "commerce." The government has to stop trying avoid offending other parties and work to make Korean culture more rich and build a sustainable foundation for humanity.
The Hankyoreh, 7 June 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
Gov't Vague about 'Cultural Diversity' Agreement |
