e-ShortNews

-- The world has denied Americanized globalization--

Eiji Hattori, Advisor of NPO Meguro UNESCO Association

The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was adopted in the 33rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference on October 20th with 148 votes in favor, 2 votes (the US and Israel) against, and 2 abstentions. The Convention will formally take effect three months after being ratified by 30 countries. I interviewed Mr. Eiji Hattori, an advisor to Meguro UNESCO Association, about the significance of the Convention. I appreciate the time he spared out of his busy schedule just before leaving to attend the International Symposium on Cultural Diversity and Transversal Values, which he had organized

UNESCO enacted the World Heritage Treaty (officially named the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage) in 1972, the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in 2001, and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003 as the run-up to this year’s adoption of the Convention on Cultural Diversity.
What should not be missed in the development is the change in the themes from material culture to spiritual culture. Early on, when the Abu Simbel temples were sal-vaged in the 1960’s, UNESCO considered stone culture and the authenticity of the stone*1 when designating them as a world heritage. However, in the case of the wooden cultural assets in Kyoto, Nara and other areas, authenticity of stone gave way to authenticity of form*2, which gradually made its way to the protection of intangible cultural assets that have the inherent spirit of a race. Asian and African countries supported this concept enthusiastically. Hence, the European-centered concept for the protection of world heritage has expanded in terms of substance and region. The underlying thought is the protection and promotion of the diversity of spiritual culture.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau testified the importance of di-versity at a seminar celebrating UNESCO’s fiftieth anni-versary at the United Nations University in Tokyo in 1995. The gist of his speech is the greater the number of species, the stronger the ecosystem. Where there are fewer species, like at the South Pole, the ecosystem is fragile. The same rule applies to culture also. Monoculture is fragile. If cul-tural diversity is lost, the human species will become ex-tinct. His testimony turned out to be incorporated into Arti-cle 1 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in 2001. At the beginning of this year’s conven-tion, the same spirit is followed and it is affirmed that cul-tural diversity is a defining characteristic of humanity.
Just after the adoption of the convention in 2001, the US decided to rejoin UNESCO. It immediately sent the WTO (World Trade Organization) delegation to the inter-governmental meeting of experts on the Preliminary Draft Convention on Cultural Diversity to reiterate its assertion of ensuring freedom of expression and market principle*3. To take but one example, 70% of TV movies in Europe are made in the US. The US movies have a market of about 6 billion people. Mr. Akira Kurosawa, a movie director, would have to make a movie with the cost calculated on the assumption that about 100 million Japanese would see the movie. It would not be easy to rank with the US movies targeting an audience of 6 billion. An uncompromising market principle and free competition have been stomping over cultures in the world like a bulldozer, against which the people of Europe, Asia and Africa have been united. The movement is behind the adoption of the convention.
That means a great many people in the world have been united to prevent market principle from taking over a world of internal, spiritual culture that values harmony. Philoso-phical change from materialism to spiritualism is the most significant achievement made by Director-General Koichiro Matsuura, who is Japanese. I hope the US will respond sincerely to the spiritual movement in the world.
(Excerpt from the interview, 31 Oct, by Yukio Okusawa)

*******************************************
*1 “authenticity of the stone” : The Palace of Knossos in Crete, an island in Aegean Sea, could not be registered as a world heritage, because a room in the ruined palace was repaired with concrete. This illustrates the point that authenticity is a very important factor when designating a world heritage.
*2 “wooden buildings and world heritage “ : To take Horyuji Temple as an example, it has been repaired and restored many times after burning by a fire and deterioration from ageing. It would not have been a candidate as a world heritage based on the stone-centered concept that had been followed since the Abu Simbel temples. However, the criterion has been changed so that if the form is completely restored, a wooden cultural asset can be a candidate.
*3 The WTO (World Trade Organization) was set up in January 1995, based on an agreement at the Uruguay Round of GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). The organization exists for the promotion of world trade and does not seem to have anything to do with the Convention on Cultural Diversity. However, just after the US returned to UNESCO, WTO members attended the intergovernmental meeting of experts on the Preliminary Draft Convention on Cultural Diversity to repeatedly make an objection. They submitted a large number of counterproposals. The American cinema industry
has been invading the world. This seems to reflect their attitude of putting a premium on national interests in agriculture (wheat, beef, and animal feed),
mining industry (crude oil), computer industry, environment (Kyoto Protocol), armaments industry (weaponry, military strength, antiterrorism strategy), etc.
The adoption of the convention means that conscience of UNESCO has denied the Americans of their policy of putting national interests first.
(The notes are written by the Public Relations Committee incorporating the opinions of Mr. Hattori and many others)