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| | Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the celebration of 21 May, “World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development”
20-05-2003 - On 20 December 2002, in resolution 57/249 on “Culture and development”, the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 21 May the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and invited all Member States, intergovernmental bodies, organizations of the United Nations system and relevant non-governmental organizations, inter alia, to raise public awareness of the wealth of cultural diversity and, in particular, to encourage, through education and the media, knowledge of the value of cultural diversity. |
The Day is being celebrated for the first time today and I should like to take this opportunity to stress the paramount importance of the event.
Under the UNESCO Constitution, it is our Organization’s duty to promote “the fruitful diversity of the cultures”. Now cultures today are threatened by factors which are very diverse: in one place, the unwarranted defence of a national identity is endangering the culture of minority groups; in another, it is in the name of religion that cultural practices are being put to the test. Nearly everywhere, under the influence of rampant globalization, languages are falling into disuse, traditions are being forgotten and vulnerable cultures are being marginalized, if not wiped out. The risk of a dramatic reduction in the spectrum of cultural diversity is high. The earth’s rainbow cannot be reduced to one or other of its colours without compromising the heritage of future generations and the survival of the human species.
It was this awareness that lay behind the adoption, in 2001, of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, and the 20 main lines of an action plan for a new understanding of the relationship between diversity, dialogue and development. These three terms are interlocking elements of a system for handling and optimizing the cultural resources of humanity. By approving the Declaration, UNESCO’s Member States undertook to recognize, defend and promote actively the benefits of cultural diversity locally, nationally and internationally. I am pleased to hear that 21 May is being celebrated in many countries worldwide. Our regional offices have been instructed to assist or take the lead in such initiatives, forming novel partnerships with civil society.
It is not UNESCO’s calling, any more than it is that of the United Nations, to become a world leader in cultural promotion. But it may play a part in rekindling hope all over the world. It is in this light that the celebration of 21 May, which has brought us together, must be understood.
The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity is an outstanding tool for dialogue and development. Each must carry the message to the heart of his or her society so that cultural plurality may become, through the dialogue of cultures, a shared wealth. It is only in this way that we shall avoid tragic rifts and that we may hope to achieve development sustainability, secured by the sustainability of cultural diversity and of the pursuit of constructive and vigilant dialogue.
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Office of the Spokeswoman
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