Khalid attends 7th COP Convention in Paris

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DHAKA, June 7, 2019 (BSS) – State Minister for Cultural Affairs K M Khalid attended the 7th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention which is being held at the UNESCO Secretariat in Paris from June 5.

Taking part in the General Debate of the COP to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression, the state minister reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to safeguarding cultural diversity in various fields in the country, an official release said here today.

He also noted that after ratification of the Convention in 2007, Bangladesh has been implementing the Convention at the national level and have taken various measures to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expression in the country, the release said.

Khalid informed the session that Bangladesh would submit its second Quadrennial Periodic Report (QPR) in 2020 and observed that the reporting process have positively impacted on innovative, forward-looking and evidence-based cultural policymaking through multi-stakeholder dialogues in Bangladesh.

He also thanked UNESCO for selecting Bangladesh as one of the 16 partner countries of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) funded project “Reshaping Policies for the Promotion of Fundamental Freedoms and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions”.

The state minister is leading a four-member delegation to the Conference of Parties which include Bangladesh’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Ambassador Kazi Imtiaz Hossain.

Under the project, UNESCO, Dhaka Office and Ministry of Cultural Affairs will conduct capacity building training program for national experts, government officials and concerned individuals for implementation of the 2005 Convention in a professional manner.

The 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions recognizes the sovereign right of States to formulate and implement policies and measures that support the emergence of dynamic cultural and creative sectors.

It ensures that policies and measures are designed and implemented through informed, participatory and transparent processes as well as guided by principles that respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

During the Seventh Session representatives from 145 State Parties would examine an Open Roadmap designed to strengthen the Parties’ capacities to promote the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital age and examine innovative policy practices and approve revised guidelines on “Information Sharing and Transparency”.

The state minister will attend a number of working sessions and side events during the conference.