EBU President Jean Paul Philippot joined ministers, artists and representatives from various international organizations in Belgium on 25 October to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the UNESCO convention on Cultural Diversity.

The convention, adopted in 2005, was created to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expression. The forum took place in the 2015 European Capital of Culture Mons, with the self-chosen theme “Where technology meets culture”; an important topic with regards to the impact of the digital revolution on the modes of cultural creation and diffusion.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and Secretary General of La Francophonie Michaëlle Jean discussed how the forum was the perfect opportunity to discuss the future of the Convention, and stressed that it must apply to all media, despite of the technology used by the various platforms.

EBU President Jean Paul Philippot underlined the need to ensure a “common level playing field among all actors of the audiovisual panorama” and reiterated that cultural diversity principles have to be respected. He also defended public service media with reference to the over-the-top service Netflix remembering that “each single national broadcaster produces a lot more national content that any foreign company could ever produce, simply because is made by nationals for nationals and tailor-made on the real needs of the citizens.”

For more information about the event please click here