A source of inspiration - UNESCO's culture sector - UNESCO's programme for 1994-1995: Solidarity and Sharing

IN Canada, the traditional ecological knowledge of the Indian populations is being collected and documented as part of the quest for sustainable development models. In Indonesia, efforts are underway to develop a style of tourism that highlights the country's outstanding cultural heritage without damaging it. Meanwhile, in Africa a "Culture Train" is in the planning, linking Nairobi to the Cape, to promote the performing arts in the southern part of the continent. Although these are but three of a range of projects being undertaken by UNESCO's Culture Sector, they well illustrate the direction being taken for the 1994-1995 biennium, which also marks the mid-point of the World Decade for Cultural Development: to take culture out of its "ghetto" and recognize the role it plays in virtually all areas of human society.

"The objective of the Decade is to incorporate culture into all domains of activity, ranging from the economy to health and the environment," says UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture, Henri Lopes, "and, in doing so, to encourage the active participation of populations in the development process."

One of the main vehicles for this will be the World Commission on Culture and Development, established at the end of 1992 and presided over by former UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. Essentially, the Commission's task is to formulate policies and practices that, according to Mr. Perez de Cuellar, "will lead to a more human, sustainable and unifying form of development."

The move in this direction has also led to a new emphasis on the intangible cultural heritage--traditions, skills and languages that in many places are dying out but constitute a vital part of a people's cultural identity. "This is not only a way of preserving a people's memory and knowledge," says Doudou Diene, who is in charge of intercultural projects. "Traditional crafts and forms of artistic expression have always been shaped by outside influences. Culture and cultural identity are the result of constant movement, interaction and exchange. This is a particularly important message today, when the defence of cultural identity has become a source of conflict."

Centres to study cultural identities and foster intercultural co-operation are currently being planned for the Mediterranean basin, southeast Europe, central Asia and southern Africa.

RAPID RESPONSE TEAM

The second major pole of action in the cultural domain for 1994-1995 is the preservation of the world's sites, monuments and cultural property. Here, a major reinforcement effort is underway to encourage more Member States to accede to the World Heritage Convention. The World Heritage Centre, established in 1992 to "promote and mobilize", is also refocusing its efforts to better ensure the protection of the 378 sites on the World Heritage List. "The mere listing of properties is not sufficient" says the Centre's director, Bernd von Droste. "We need more effective site management. This means systematic monitoring, which in turn means better information and documentation on sites, especially the fifteen now on the World Heritage in Danger List." It has also been decided to set up a team of specialists who can move quickly into emergency situations, such as natural disasters, and launch safeguarding operations--a sort of rapid response team for the world's natural and cultural treasures.

Given the surge in illicit art trafficking, especially in eastern Europe, the coming biennium will see the strengthening of the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. "Many of UNESCO's new Member States are not even aware of how the Convention works or how they can use it," says Lyndel Prott, head of UNESCO's International Standards Section. "To correct this situation, we are planning a series of seminars in West Africa, South America and central Asia, not only to inform but also to provoke some action and stem the tide of smuggling from these regions."

Despite the belt tightening that has marked the past few years, this biennium will see the budget allocated to the Culture Sector increased to $41.7 million. This reflects the priority given to this area at a time when, stresses Federico Mayor, "tensions and conflicts have a growing tendency to be cultural in origin |and~ a genuine intercultural dialogue is becoming an urgent necessity."

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