© Cyril Bailleul – Unesco

The Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) wishes to acknowledge the remarkable contribution of Mathieu Lacombe, who has served as Quebec’s Minister of Culture and Communications since 2022. Throughout his mandate, Minister Lacombe established himself as a leading advocate for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, both in Quebec and internationally. 

Recognizing UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions as a key instrument for safeguarding cultural sovereignty, he played a major role in initiating an international discussion on its implementation in the digital environment. He subsequently assumed a leadership role in encouraging numerous countries to support the development of an additional protocol to the Convention, aimed at strengthening its effectiveness in promoting the discoverability of cultural content and protecting human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence. 

Alongside these international efforts, the Minister introduced several important initiatives in Quebec, including the adoption of the Act respecting the discoverability of French-language cultural content in the digital environment. 

Throughout his tenure, Minister Lacombe demonstrated a strong willingness to listen and a notable spirit of collaboration with the cultural sector. 

“We wish to recognize the Minister’s commitment, passion, vision, and leadership, both in Quebec and internationally. As a civil society organization representing the interests of the cultural sector at UNESCO, we had a front-row seat to witness the Minister’s dynamism and his ability to foster a rich global dialogue on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment,” said Marie-Julie Desrochers, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.