Pakistan urged to ratify UNESCO convention on cultural expression

Pakistan has diverse cultural goods, services which can be harnessed for sustainable economic and social development

LAHORE: “The creative economy has expanded significantly and is worth an estimated $4.3 trillion per year. It contributes up to 6.1 per cent of the global economy. In Pakistan, exports of cultural goods have risen from $60 million in 2004 to $276 million in 2013,” said Vibeke Jensen, a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Thursday.

She was addressing participants of a consultation organised by the UNESCO on the state of Pakistan creative sectors. The consultation was called for recommendations on policies for ratification of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Jensen said, “Pakistan has diverse cultural goods and services which can be harnessed for sustainable economic and social development.”

She said that with financial support from the Danish Centre for Culture and Development, the UNESCO had mapped out stakeholders, identified needs and examined existing policies related to culture sectors.

“This meeting has been called to raise awareness on the benefits for Pakistan of signing the Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions. We want your recommendations to be incorporated in relevant national policies,” she said.

She said the UNESCO was also organising a series of workshops with young Pakistani entrepreneurs to create success stories for creative industries. Another UNESCO representative said the convention had been adopted by most UNESCO member states in 2005.

He said that by signing the convention, creative sectors of the country would be facilitated through better access to domestic and international markets.

“Once Pakistan signs this convention, its public sector, NGOs and creative professionals would become eligible to apply for the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) which has annual calls for funding requests of up to $100,000.”

Addressing the participants, Embassy of Denmark Chargé d’Affaires Jan Riemer said, “Pakistan is a very unique country when it comes to diversity. Each region has its own rich history of progressive art and culture which is why it is important to protect and promote this country’s diversity of cultural expressions. By supporting the art and culture sector in Pakistan, our aim is to create opportunities for more intercultural dialogue and collaboration and strengthening of freedom of expression for artists?” Punjab Information and Culture Additional Secretary Syeda Malika spoke on the potential of culture on the economy.

She said the provincial government had developed policies to highlight and preserve the culture of the country.

“Technological advancements can help us highlight our culture and gain economic benefits from it,” she said.

She said that documenting a cultural policy could provide a framework for preserving culture and heritage for future generations.

The meeting organised by UNESCO Pakistan with the support of Centre for Cultural and Development (CKU-Denmark) The meeting included representatives from the government, members of the civil society, representatives of Embassy of Denmark in Pakistan and media representatives.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2016.