Minister Park Yang-woo Chairs Intergovernmental Committee on Cultural Diversity Convention

Held online from the 1st to 6th of next month... Support for Director Bong Joon-ho and the Cultural and Arts Community at the Commemoration Ceremony

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo attended the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee at the National Assembly on the 26th, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions will be held online from the 1st to the 6th of next month. The meeting will be chaired by Park Yang-woo, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. He was elected as chair last year in recognition of his leadership in advancing the cultural industries of developing countries at the previous intergovernmental committee.

The meeting will be attended by 149 ratifying countries of the convention, including 24 committee member states, as well as international organizations and non-profit organizations. On the first day, a commemorative ceremony will be held to mark the "International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development." Minister Park will introduce the "Year of Creative Economy," and Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, and Volkan Bozkır, President of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, will deliver congratulatory remarks emphasizing the role of culture and cultural industries. Director Bong Joon-ho of the film Parasite will also support the cultural and artistic sectors struggling due to COVID-19.

This intergovernmental committee will review 18 agenda items, including the status and future direction of the Cultural Diversity Fund, implementation of the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the digital environment, and the relationship between the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist and the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. It will assess the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural and cultural industries sectors over the past year and explore future response policies and directions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will cooperate with UNESCO to hold side events. On the 2nd of next month, directors Kim Bora of the film House of Hummingbird and Kawase Naomi of the film True Mothers will discuss sustainable cultural development in developing countries, and the following day, Kwak Shin-ae, CEO of Barunson E&M, which produced Parasite, will talk about cultural diversity. The videos can be viewed on UNESCO's YouTube channel and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Facebook page.

Minister Park said, "This intergovernmental committee is an opportunity for countries to share their experiences and information on key agenda items and to discuss internationally the challenges faced and future cooperation plans," adding, "As chair, I will strive to achieve the intended outcomes."

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