CDCE took part in the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from February 11 to 14, 2025. It was represented by Bill Skolnik, co-chair, and Marie-Julie Desrochers, executive director, both of whom were part of the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD) delegation.

During this session, the Committee had the opportunity to review the recommendations put forward by the Reflection Group on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Age. The Parties welcomed these recommendations and adopted recommendations 2 through 11. However, recommendation 1—supported by the CDCE—which called for an additional protocol to the 2005 Convention to address the digital environment, was not retained. That said, the Parties acknowledged the pressing need to take action to protect creators in the digital space, particularly in light of the rise of generative AI.

The International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity has published a comprehensive report on its website.

View the report

Perspectives on the recommendations of the Reflection Group on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment

On February 12, 2025, the CDCE and the IFCCD, with the support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Chair in Communication and Technologies for Development, organized a side event of the ICG to facilitate and enrich stakeholder dialogue on the recommendations of the Reflection Group on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment.

Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, delivered opening remarks and participated in the discussions.

The moderator, Pierre Trudel, who has worked closely with Canadian civil society throughout this process, presented the position adopted by the Canadian Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Guillaume Prieur, chair of the IFCCD, shared the positions of the later and the French Coalition. Viviana Rangel, from the Colombian organization, Fundacion Karisma, expressed the concerns of the Colombian cultural sector regarding streaming platforms.

This panel also allowed experts to present their work within the Reflection Group and explain the reasoning behind their recommendations. Destiny Tchéhouali and Lilian Hanania, who participated in both meetings of the Reflection Group, provided insights into the experts’ work.

Listen to the conference