Franco-German accord on cultural diversity

The French and German Ministers of Culture, Jean-Jacques Aillagon and Christina Weiss, issued a joint declaration last November in favour of the promotion and protection of cultural diversity, the subtext of which was a desire to protect against American cultural imperialism. It followed discussions in Saarbrücken, the south-western German city on the French border. The ministers declared their intention to “work in collaboration at the heart of Unesco [the United Nations cultural branch] for the elaboration of an international convention on cultural diversity”. The declaration adds that it is important to “protect the diversity of cultural and audiovisual services [television, radio], that risk harming the cultural and linguistic diversity of the European Union”.