Canada pushes UNESCO convention on cultural protection

By Susan Tolusso

OTTAWA – A collection of Canada’s leading cultural organizations emerged from a meeting with the federal culture minister and several of her provincial/territorial counterparts Monday, united in their determination to see a Canadian-originated treaty on cultural protection enshrined in international law. While free trade deals and WTO wrangling sort out how countries sell each other commercial goods and services, few international statutes define the treatment of cultural products such as TV programs, films, music, books and magazines. The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) convention on cultural diversity – recognizing every sovereign state’s right to create, support and...