Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO

10th Session of the Conference of Parties to the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

The 10th Session of the Conference of Parties to the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was held from 18 to 20 June 2024 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the Convention's adoption, this milestone session provided a platform for Parties to deliberate on key issues shaping the future of cultural diversity. Central topics included the ▲recommendations of the Open-ended Working Group on safeguarding cultural diversity in the digital environment, ▲strategies for implementing the Convention’s provisions on preferential treatment for developing countries (Article 16), and ▲plans for commemorative events to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

The UNESCO Secretariat outlined strategic orientations to enhance the implementation of the Convention. These included ▲ensuring inclusive and participatory governance, ▲promoting policy monitoring and knowledge sharing, ▲advancing recommendations related to the digital environment and preferential treatment, and ▲reinforcing international cooperation to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions, especially in emergency situations. At the request of Parties, a new strategic direction was added to promote linguistic diversity, including Indigenous languages, through collaboration with regional organizations.

Elections were also held during the session to appoint new members to the Intergovernmental Committee for the 2025–2029 term. The following countries were elected: Group I (Belgium, Sweden), Group II (Armenia, Azerbaijan), Group III (Brazil, Colombia), Group IV (Philippines, Viet Nam), Group V(a) (Djibouti, United Republic of Tanzania), and Group V(b) (Mauritania, Tunisia).

The Republic of Korea currently serves as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the 2023–2027 term and was elected Vice-Chair of the Committee in February 2024. As a leading proponent of the Convention, Korea remains committed to promoting the diversity of cultural expressions, particularly in the context of digital and AI transformation, and to strengthening international collaboration in this evolving landscape.