Melanesia urged to join global culture convention

Caption:  Etienne Clement

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, July 6, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

WITH the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture concluding its first week festivities- visiting UNESCO Director for Pacific States Etienne Clement has called on all Melanesian countries to UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Speaking to the media last week at the Holiday Inn Hotel last week Mr Clement said that the convention was adopted by a 133 countries worldwide, with no Melanesian countries signatories to the cultural convention.

133 countries are already bound by that important international agreement aiming at supporting cultural diversity policies, encouraging protection of cultural expressions and promoting artists and creative industries.

“I am calling on all Melanesian countries to join the convention which is an international agreement to protect cultural diversity in terms of performance, art, rituals, song, and paintings,” Clement said.

“Cultural diversity which people in Melanesia are rightly so proud of is a treasure which needs to be preserved at all costs.”

“Support should continue to be given to those keeping cultural expressions alive as well as to artists, especially young artists.”

He said that it was commendable the government’s focus and funding into the festival, which he said shows how much culture means to the people of Papua New Guinea.

Clement also revealed that membership in the convention would enable the country to have access to grants aimed at cultural preservation projects to a maximum of US$100,000.

He added that there was a danger that in the rush to obtain modern economic and social gains culture was in most instances forgotten.

“Forgotten in the sense that the type of funding being put towards education and other sectors will never be put towards culture,” he pointed out.

PNG is already a signatory to other UNESCO conventions like the World Heritage Convention and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention.