The International Fund for Cultural Diversity: a new tool for cooperation in the audiovisual field

Abstract

This paper analyses the implementation of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD), emerged from the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (UNESCO 2005). The uniqueness of this multilateral fund is that most of its resources are aimed at supporting actions of non-governmental organizations functioning within the fields of cultural policy and cultural industries in developing and underdeveloped countries. Through a thorough study of different decisions and documents, this text analyses the IFCD’s funding, the results of the first calls for initiatives and the support obtained by projects focused on the audiovisual industry. Conceived as an instrument to implement initiatives whose goal is to strengthen the cultural sphere of the poorest countries, the hitherto modest IFCD faces now questions about its future growth and effectiveness in terms of changing the existing imbalance at work within the flows of audiovisual content both regionally and internationally.

Keywords:

• cultural diversity
• UNESCO
• audiovisual policy
• international cooperation
• cultural industries

Acknowledgements

This article draws on research undertaken for the project on ‘Cultural Diversity and Audiovisual Industry: Good Practices and Indicators’ (reference number: CSO2011-26241), funded by the Spanish Research, Development & Innovation Plan, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; and by Caja Madrid Foundation under a Grant Mobility Scholarship Program for University Professors. The author wishes to thank the comments made by colleagues Mª Trinidad García Leiva (Carlos III University of Madrid), Gaëtan Tremblay (Université du Québec à Montreal), Philip Schlesinger (University of Glasgow), Belén Monclús (Autonomus University of Barcelona), as well as by Francisco Gómez Duran (Section of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, UNESCO).

Notes

1. The Conference of the Parties (plenary and supreme body) and the Intergovernmental Committee (consisting of 24 delegations of the Parties), supported by the Secretariat of the 2005 Convention of UNESCO, are the organs of this Convention (see articles 22, 23 and 24 of the 2005 Convention).

2. The ‘Silent Party –Diversity for the ears’ was celebrated in Bonn, Germany, on 16 May 2012, with the support of the German Commission at UNESCO. This event raised 3009 dollars. The Québécois Party representative, Neko Likongo, launched a campaign that accounted for 36 contributors who donated 1512 dollars in 2011 and 883 in 2012.

3. The first members of this panel were elected for a period of two years, and then extended for another year by the Intergovernmental Committee during its third session (Paris, December 2009). The choice of these specialists was based, among other criteria, on their capacity to represent the different UNESCO electoral regions and the complementary character of the member’s expertise. The first six experts appointed were: Ferdinand Richard (France), Tjarve Baiba (Latvia), Rosalía Winocur (Mexico), Li He (China), Kokou Koami Denakpo (Togo) and Khamis Alshamakhi (Oman).

4. The Conference of the Parties specified that the Pilot Phase would last 36 months, between June 2009 and June 2012, establishing that once finished, the Intergovernmental Committee should evaluate the IFCD, assessing the impact of the supported programs and projects and revising the working mechanisms of the Fund.