Cultural Policy
Cultural Policy in the Commonwealth
Text of the 2007 Commonwealth People's Forum statement on Culture and Diversity
There is a need for sound cultural policy if cultural practitioners are going to flourish and if the creative industries are to be enabled to play their fullest possible role in economic and social development. It should follow that governments and civil society co-operate in the development and implementation of that policy.
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Diversity represents a significant development in international cultural policy, supporting as it does the right of countries to develop national cultural policies, encouraging the involvement of civil society and promoting inter-cultural initiatives.
The Commonwealth Foundation is currently exploring ways in which it can help cultural civil society make the most of the opportunity offered by the Convention, which may include supporting the forming and functioning of national level cultural coalitions and regional and international collaboration between them and other means of strengthening cultural civil society in order to engage with governments and international processes.
A first step in this regard was taken in September 2007 when the Foundation supported the First Meeting of Coalitions and Cultural Professional Organisations from African member countries of the Commonwealth that took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, organised by the Canadian branch of the Secretariat of the International Liaison Committee of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity and hosted by the South African Music Rights Organisation. The Johannesburg Declaration, which came out of this meeting, is available at the bottom of this page.
In March 2008, the Foundation hosted a high-level seminar at Marlborough House, bringing together representatives from Commonwealth civil society, governments and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. Key findings and recommendations, available in a report, emerged from this meeting which will inform how the Foundation develops its future work. Activities include:
• A major new research project, Putting Culture First, which will result in the publication of a report in November 2008.
• Taking forward the idea of a Culture and/or Trade Ministers' meeting.
• Working closely with the Commonwealth group of ambassadors to UNESCO.
• Documentation of culture through the Commonwealth Culture Toolkit and ongoing web work.
• Liaison / partnership with international organisations working in the field of cultural policy.
• Joint work with the International Coalition for Cultural Diversity on national cultural coalition building and regional coalition networking.
• Targeted grant-making.
• Work with Commonwealth Associations.
| Related Documents | |
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 | Putting Culture First 622 KB) |
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| 2007 Commonwealth People's Forum Consultations Culture Discussion paper by Keith Nurse 54 KB) |
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| Johannesburg Declaration 30 KB) |
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