Protection of Cultural Diversity from a European and International Perspective

The protection of cultural diversity has become an important issue on the agenda of many international organizations and fora. The G8, the Council of Europe, the European Union and UNESCO have all expressed the need for the protection of cultural diversity. In October 2005, 148 countries signed the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This UNESCO Convention entered into force on 18 March 2007. With the adoption of this Convention, the international community has created a framework for protective measures dedicated to the diversity of cultural expressions against the influences of globalization and free trade.The Faculty of Law of Mastricht University, in cooperation with the Boekman Foundation, Amsterdam, organized an international conference on The Protection of Cultural Diversity from an International and European Perspective on 18 and 19 March 2007. The aim of the conference was to discuss, on the very date of the entry into force of the UNESCO Convention, the policy space for national policies for the protection of cultural diversity. This book contains contributions reflecting the discussions and conclusions reached at this conference.