Civil Society: A Landmark Exchange, An Ongoing Discussion

The role of civil society in the implementation of the Convention was not only on the agenda for the June session—it was also the exclusive focus of a first-time exchange between UNESCO member States and civil society organizations that took place June 23 on the eve of the IGC session.

The session was attended by more than 100 governmental representatives and an equal number of representatives from civil society, and focused on three specific themes:

1. The role of civil society in the promotion and the implementation of the Convention:
a) Functions and contributions
b) Coordinated approach

2. Civil society’s input to the work of the Organs of the Convention: options and proposals

3. The International Fund for Cultural Diversity and civil society: a contributor, a beneficiary, a service provider?

Moderated by Ambassador Ina Marciulionyté, Permanent Delegate of Lithuania, the civil society interventions were launched by introductory interventions on behalf of the non-governmental organizations present delivered by Rasmané Ouedraogo, President of the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD), and Garry Neil, Executive Director of the International Network for Cultural Diversity (INCD). Several NGOs also made interventions in the subsequent exchange—notably to provide illustrations of international cooperation initiatives their organizations are already engaged in—including the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) and the International Federation of Actors (FIA).

A summary document setting out the recommendations from civil society organizations was subsequently provided to the UNESCO Secretariat and circulated to Member State delegations.

The June 23 exchange set the stage for the formal discussion on Article 11 during the actual session of the Intergovernmental Committee.

The operational guidelines ultimately adopted by the IGC define civil society as “non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, professionals in the culture sector and associated sectors, groups that support the work of artists and cultural communities.”

Recognizing the “essential role” of civil society in implementation, the guidelines set out a number of specific avenues for engaging civil society:

1. support to Parties, as appropriate, in the elaboration and implementation of cultural policies;
2. capacity-building in specific domains linked to the implementation of the Convention and carrying out data collection in the field of the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions;
3. promotion of specific cultural expressions by giving voice to groups such as women, persons belonging to minorities, and indigenous peoples, so as to ensure that all stakeholders’ special circumstances and needs are taken into account when formulating cultural policies;
4. advocating the widespread ratification of the Convention and its implementation by governments, as well as in assisting Parties to promote the objectives and principles of the Convention in other international forums.

With respect to the contribution of civil society to the work of the organs of the Convention, the operational guidelines provide for accredited observer NGOs to be able to:

1. participate in the meetings of the Conference of Parties and the Intergovernmental Committee;
2. be given the floor to speak by the respective Chairs of these bodies;
3. submit written contributions relevant to the work of the respective bodies when authorized by the Chair, to be circulated to all delegations and observers by the Secretariat as information documents.

Inspired by the June 23 exchange, the operational guidelines also provide for civil society organizations to maintain a dialogue with the Parties “in an interactive manner with regard to their positive contribution to the implementation of the Convention, preferably, as appropriate, before the sessions of the organs”.

Draft criteria for accrediting civil society organizations as observers for the Conference of Parties and meetings of the Intergovernmental Committee are as follows:

1. Civil society organizations or groups could be admitted to attend the organs of the Convention, according to the procedure established by each organ, if they comply with the following criteria:
a. have interests and activities in one or more fields covered by the Convention
b. have a legal status in compliance with the established rules of the jurisdiction of the country of registration;
c. are representative of their respective field of activity, or of the respective social or professional groups they represent.

2. The request for admission shall be signed by the official representative organization or group and will be accompanied by:
a. a copy of its statutes or bylaws;
b. a list of members or, in the case of non-membership foundations, a list of board members;
c. a brief description of their recent activities related to the fields covered by the Convention.”

In Limbo: Access of Civil Society to the Fund for Cultural Diversity

The role of civil society in the context of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity was discussed during the IGC’s debates regarding priorities and procedures for the Fund. The result of these debates was that the question of whether civil society organizations will be able to access the Fund has been deferred until the December meeting—references to civil society in this regard were literally placed in brackets pending this discussion.

While there is some reason to be optimistic that civil society will ultimately be granted access to the Fund, an important related issue will be the conditions for their accessing the Fund. During the debates, it was clear that a significant number of States want to establish a requirement that civil society projects obtain the support of one or more member States in order to be eligible. Civil society organizations voiced the concern that imposing such conditions could seriously limit the number of projects that are actively moved forward for consideration.