20 May 2024
The preamble of the , adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 20 October 2005, includes the following statement: “[C]ultural diversity creates a rich and varied world, which increases the range of choices and nurtures human capacities and values, and therefore is a mainspring for sustainable development for communities, peoples and nations”.
As we prepare to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Convention, now ratified by , it is essential to recall the intrinsic links between cultural diversity, sustainable development and cultural rights. It is also necessary to seize this opportunity to rethink these links in a context radically different from the one in which the Convention was born, as artists and their professional entourages now operate in a highly digital environment, a dimension not explicitly referenced in the text.
Amplifying our diversity through technology is possible. The 2005 Convention could be a key step in achieving this objective if States firmly commit to updating their implementation efforts to reflect recent digital advances.
Addressing the digital divide to promote better cultural governance
One cannot discuss the challenges brought by digital technology to the diversity of our cultural expressions without first recalling the essential reality of the digital divide, a complex phenomenon that underlies many inequalities among nations as well as within them. Not limited to the question of access to the Internet or computer hardware, the digital divide notably also refers to inequalities in digital skills.
Although the risks are more pronounced where the digital divide is greater, technological developments challenge governance capacities in cultural matters in every country. For both governments and civil society, it is essential to develop and strengthen the skills needed to maximize the benefits of these advances while maintaining the ability to anticipate the challenges they bring.
Two important issues affecting the protection and promotion of cultural diversity deserve our attention: the question of discoverability of local and national content, and the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Discoverability: a lever for fighting homogenization
A handful of digital platforms operating in multiple countries now control public access to a massive amount of content. One might think that easy access to millions of works and productions facilitates more diverse consumption than ever before. This is not the case. Take, for example, a recent published by the European Audiovisual Observatory, which shows the opposite effect. It reveals that on streaming platforms in Europe, American content is consistently overconsumed, accounting for 61.2 per cent of total viewing time, while the consumption of works from regions other than the United States and Europe only occupies 8.3 per cent of viewing time.
Between human curation and algorithmic recommendation, the “discoveries” made by various audiences on streaming platforms are heavily influenced by the tools developed by the companies operating the platforms, primarily to meet economic objectives.
This is where the concept of discoverability comes into play. The term is defined in a published in 2020 as part of a joint mission led by France and the Province of Québec, Canada: “The discoverability of content in the digital environment refers both to its availability online and its ability to be spotted among a vast array of other content, particularly by someone who was not specifically searching for it.”
Achieving true discoverability of local and national content on digital platforms is essential to meeting the goals of cultural diversity. To achieve this, a variety of factors need to be in place, including the digital skills of cultural actors and the development of technological innovations. But above all, it will require raising awareness among the companies operating these platforms, which can only occur through the implementation of bold legislative frameworks like those we currently see emerging in some countries, such as Canada, as well as within intergovernmental organizations such as the European Union.
Generative artificial intelligence: legislating and building partnerships for responsible use
Over the past year, lightning-fast advances in generative artificial intelligence systems have brought about a major paradigm shift in the cultural sector. The definition of a work of art or the very idea of human originality has been called into question as these systems, which produce new content (text, sound, image or video), are developed from protected works used without transparency, consent or compensation, contradicting the principles of protection and promotion of cultural rights and the diversity of cultural expressions.
Legislative frameworks must quickly be put in place to reverse this trend. In addition to imposing the transparency necessary to allow creators to consent to the use of their works, and to be remunerated for this use, it is essential to recognize the human aspect of creation by refusing to grant new rights to productions generated solely by machines. It is also necessary to strengthen the protection of performing artists against the proliferation of deepfakes.
A responsible development of generative AI could enhance the diversity of cultural expressions. Promising projects are already emerging, including ones aimed at revitalizing minority or endangered languages. Of note are projects such as , a grassroots movement working on building language technology for African languages, or , developed by Indigenous researchers in Canada in collaboration with , an AI research centre.
These inspiring initiatives highlight the importance of building bridges between research communities and civil society to promote the emergence of AI for the benefit of all.
A Convention propelled into the future
In June 2025, a group of independent experts appointed by the Parties to the 2005 UNESCO Convention will present recommendations aimed at protecting the diversity of our cultural expressions in the digital environment. The , with the support of its Canadian member, will contribute by organizing a , underscoring the crucial role played by civil society in these matters.
The work conducted under the Convention by the Reflection Group on the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment, and the actions that will follow, are vital for cultural diversity, as well as for our collective future. Cultural rights and States' abilities to preserve their cultural sovereignty are essential for healthy democracies and true sustainable development. Specifically, as advocated by the collective, it is necessary to fully integrate culture as a pillar of sustainable development by 2030 and beyond, starting with the development of a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) specific to the cultural dimension of development.
More broadly, the key role that the cultural sector can and must play in this context should be more systematically promoted and recognized in all United Nations forums. In this regard, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), and Summit of the Future, during which the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact will be adopted, are opportunities that should be seized to further these objectives.
The UN?Chronicle? is?not an official record. It is privileged to host senior United Nations officials as well as distinguished contributors from outside the United Nations system whose views are not necessarily those of the United Nations. Similarly, the boundaries and names shown, and the designations used, in maps or articles do not necessarily imply endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.?
