15^th Summit of La Francophonie and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

The 15^th Summit of La Francophonie was held on November 29 and 30, 2014, in Dakar, Senegal. Two texts adopted there dealt with the diversity of cultural expressions.

The Dakar Declaration

This document reaffirms the commitment of heads of state and Francophonie member governments to the diversity of cultural expressions, noting “the considerable impact of digital technologies on the cultural environment and the need to take this into account in [...] national policies and cooperation activities, in relation to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.”

Resolution on the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

This text also acknowledges the impact of digital issues by:

• reaffirming that the Convention is technologically neutral and that its objectives and principles apply to all fields of endeavour, including digital technology;
• recognizing the importance of addressing the digital challenge and seizing opportunities that digital technology offers for implementing the Convention; and
• asking the International Organization of La Francophonie to play an active role in examining the impact of digital technology on the diversity of cultural expressions and identifying appropriate actions.

Complete versions of the documents are available in French on the OIF website.