WORLD MUST REAP BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION WITHOUT ERODING CULTURAL DIVERSITY, REPUBLIC OF KOREA TELLS SECOND COMMITTEE

22 October 1997

Press Release
GA/EF/2770

WORLD MUST REAP BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION WITHOUT ERODING CULTURAL DIVERSITY, REPUBLIC OF KOREA TELLS SECOND COMMITTEE

19971022 Coordinator of World Decade for Cultural Development Also Speaks; New Code of Global Ethics, Qualitative Dimensions of Growth Discussed

The international community must determine how to reap the benefits of globalization without eroding the creative advantages of cultural diversity, the representative of the Republic of Korea told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning, during its consideration of cultural development. Development strategies needed to be culturally sensitive in order to succeed, he continued. He supported a new code of global ethics based on the commitment to pluralism, as proposed in the report of the World Commission for Culture and Development, entitled "Our Creative Diversity". A new code of global ethics was particularly important in the context of increasing global economic integration. The representative of India said the overall development of society called for complementary policies in the fields of culture, education, science and communication to establish a harmonious balance between technological, intellectual and moral advancement. Growth had frequently been conceived in quantitative terms, without taking into account its necessary qualitative dimensions, particularly the satisfaction of a person's spiritual and cultural aspirations. The coordinator of the World Decade for Cultural Development for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Francis Childe, told the Committee that culture could not be reduced to a subsidiary position, as a mere promoter or impediment to economic growth. Development embraced not only access to good and services, but also the opportunity to a valuable and valued way of living together and the flourishing of human existence in all its forms. Speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated countries, the representative of Luxembourg said culture was a fundamental aspect of the development of every individual and country. The cultural dimension should continue to be given priority in the process of sustainable development in the programmes of UNESCO and the other United Nations agencies after the end of the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997). Statements were also made by the representatives of Turkey, China, Cote d'Ivoire and Colombia. The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to consider the question of the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to consider the question of cultural development, under the general heading "sustainable development and international economic cooperation".

The Committee has before it a note by the Secretary-General transmitting a progress report of the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the World Decade for Cultural Development during the period 1994-1997 (document A/52/382). It details the activities implemented under the Decade (1988-1997) since the fourth regular session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the World Decade for Cultural Development, in April 1994.

The report states that, after a slow beginning, the Decade gradually managed to focus its programme on a number of major challenges facing societies: demography, the environment, cultural pluralism, the place of the cultural heritage in development, health funding for culture, participation in the life of the country and its development, and democracy. The seminars, meetings, publications, videos, films, exhibitions, study grants, training course and field projects carried out under the Decade's programme involved thousands of direct organizers and hundreds of thousands of participants.

During the period 1988-1997, more than 1,200 projects launched by 152 Member States, 13 intergovernmental organizations and 45 non-governmental organizations were recognized as official activities of the Decade, of which almost 400 received financial support from UNESCO, totalling more than $5 million, according to the report.

Several United Nations agencies participated in the Decade's programme, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Trade Organization (WTO), the report states. Through UNESCO, the Decade also contributed to preparing several major United Nations international conferences: the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995), the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) and the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (Istanbul, 1996).

The report also provides the details of the activities implemented by UNESCO during the 1994-1997 triennium, organized by geographic region. Over the past three years, according to the report, the stress had been placed on: implementing interdisciplinary projects at the regional level around priority fields of action; strengthening inter-agency cooperation on interdisciplinary

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projects; continuing research work into methods of integrating the cultural dimension into development; and the publication and launch of the debate on the report of the World Commission on Cultural and Development, Our Creative Diversity.

Statements

FRANCIS CHILDE, Coordinator, World Decade for Cultural Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), identified the four main objectives of the decade as: acknowledging the cultural dimension of development; affirming and enriching cultural identities; broadening participation in culture; and promoting international cultural cooperation. The Decade's programme had depended primarily on the commitment of the international community through such activities as pilot development projects, research, training, publications, conferences, exhibitions and festivals. The Decade focused its programme on the cultural approach to a number of major challenges facing societies, such as population, the environment, cultural pluralism, the place of the cultural heritage in development, cultural policies and the relationship between culture and democracy.

Development divorced from its human and cultural context was growth without a soul, and economic development in its full flowering was part of a people's culture, he continued. Development embraced not only access to goods and services, but also the opportunity to choose a full, satisfying, valuable and valued, way of living together; the flourishing of human existence in all its forms. Even the goods and services stressed by the narrower, conventional view were valued, because of what they contributed to allowing people the freedom to live the way they chose. Culture could not be reduced to a subsidiary position as a mere promoter of, or a impediment to, economic growth. Development and the economy were part of a people's culture.

He summarized the achievements of the Decade, including: the awareness within the international community on the interrelationship between culture and development; the substantial progress made in accumulating and disseminating methodological and technical knowledge, as well as concepts and tools, for a culturally sensitive approach to development planning; the implementation of several hundred concrete initiatives throughout the world demonstrating the soundness of that approach; the development of networks of information, research and pilot projects in that field; and the reinforcement of inter-agency partnerships.

HENRI SCHUMACHER (Luxembourg), speaking on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, said culture was a fundamental aspect of the development of every individual and country. The report of the Director of

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UNESCO states that the Decade contributed to improved integration of the cultural dimension in the development process through numerous experimental projects in the field.

He said the Union welcomed the fact that the agencies in the system participated with interest in the Decade programme and that UNESCO derived maximum value from the cultural aspects in the preparation process for large United Nations conferences. The Union was also pleased that the UNESCO Board decided to accept Sweden's offer to host an intergovernmental conference on cultural policies in 1998.

The Union supported the methodological research project on the integration of cultural factors in development strategies, he said. The project had viewed development from a cultural perspective, emphasizing the diversity and creativity of different cultures and the need to adapt each project to its appropriate context. During the last three years, the European countries had built on their contribution to the Decade. Among the growing number of regional and interregional projects, special emphasis should be placed on the efforts made by the research programme on the management of cultural pluralism in Europe, which proposed that networks should be set up to research and define policies on specific topics. The cultural dimension should continue to be given priority in the process of sustainable development in the programmes of UNESCO and the other United Nations agencies after the end of the Decade.

MARGARET ALVA (India) said the overall development of society called for complementary policies in the fields of culture, education, science and communication, with a view to establishing a harmonious balance between technological, intellectual and moral advancement. Growth had frequently been conceived in quantitative terms, without taking into account its necessary qualitative dimensions, namely the satisfaction of man's spiritual and cultural aspirations.

She said that, although the Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development had analysed the issues of culture and development in a creative and useful manner, its recommendations were perhaps not in tune with the current realities of international cooperation. It also needed to take into account the actions undertaken elsewhere in the United Nations system.

FEZA OZTURK (Turkey) said his county was fully committed to the main objectives of the World Decade for Cultural Development and had actively participated in its projects. The most important aspect of the Decade had been the significant contribution it had made to highlighting the cultural dimension of development. It was essential that the concept and spirit of the Decade was maintained and the momentum that been generated was continued.

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Decision makers should be acquainted with the conceptual notion behind the Decade, he said. Without the awareness of governments and decision makers at the national level, the Decade might simply remain as the sum of sincere, yet insufficient efforts of experts and intellectuals. The efforts of the international community should be concentrated on that goal.

CUI YING (China) said the relationship between culture and development was an important one and the influence and role of culture in the contemporary world could not be overemphasized. Culture and development were complementary. Development strategy must pay attention to culture, education, science and technology.

Stressing that the unique cultures of the world had made the world rich and colourful, she said China would continue to take those elements of other cultures that would be useful to her. Her country attached great importance to the harmonious relationship between culture and development.

LAGARTON OUATTARA (Cote d'Ivoire) said the question of cultural development was a pivotal question in development. It was perhaps too early to assess the activities undertaken by UNESCO during the Decade, but his Government took note of UNESCO's activities and proposed projects that had taken place in Africa. There was an interdependence between culture and development. It was important to identify the synergies and actions within the framework of the Decade and expand those activities outside the structure of UNESCO. Those aspects of the Decade should be integrated in the development activities of the United Nations system and become a means for continuing the Decade at the intellectual and pedagogical levels.

CHANG BEOM CHO (Republic of Korea) said countries must consider how to incorporate culture into their development strategies and the international community should ensure that different cultures could peacefully coexist. His Government supported a new code of global ethics based on a commitment to pluralism, as proposed in the report of the World Commission for Culture and Development, entitled "Our Creative Diversity". A new code of global ethics was particularly important in a world characterized by ever-expanding globalization and economic integration, as well as increasingly frequent warning signs of a "clash of civilizations".

He said the report on the World Decade provided ample factual information about activities, but provided little guidance for substantive discussion on either a code of global ethics or the effects of globalization on the diversity and peaceful coexistence of cultures. At the same time, his Government commended the accomplishments of the project of the World Decade

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that lead to the production of a manual on cultural approaches to development. If development strategies were to succeed, they must be culturally sensitive. Those strategies should not treat culture as something alien to development or simply as a factor to be respected in devising development strategies. Culture should be embraced as a powerful and integral component of development. The seemingly irreversible trend of globalization made that issue even more relevant. The international community needed to consider how to draw the benefits of globalization, without eroding the creative benefits of cultural diversity in every society.

MARTHA GALINDO (Colombia) said plurality of views and respect for cultural diversity were important in discussing the relationship between culture and development. Pluralism, freedom of expression, recognition of the unique cultural heritage of a people and diversity should also be factored into development activities.

The process of globalization had introduced new forms of economic systems and cooperation that were challenging the traditional ways of life of countries, she said. Those new economic realities also offered opportunities for working out the interplay of tension among economic and cultural hegemonies. Cooperation must be based not only markets, but on exchange of knowledge by modern information technology and intellectual competition.

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