Call for Experts: Reflection Group on the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment

UNESCO’s Diversity of Cultural Expressions Entity has launched a call for experts in view of establishing a reflection group on the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment. The reflection group’s mandate will be to exchange knowledge and experiences regarding the implementation of the 2005 Convention in the digital environment and to formulate recommendations, which will be presented to the Intergovernmental Committee at its 18th session in February 2025 and then transmitted to the 10th session of the Conference of Parties in June 2025.

Selected experts will be invited to participate in two meetings to be held in May and September 2024 (exact dates and venues to be confirmed).

Apply before 6 October 2023!

As a reminder, the 2005 Convention establishes a framework for governments to implement policies aimed at protecting, strengthening, and promoting their cultural and creative industries, including in the digital sphere. Since 2013, there have been recurring concerns among the Convention’s signatories regarding its application in the digital environment. In 2017, guidelines on this issue were approved, and in 2019, an open roadmap was adopted to provide frameworks for implementing the Convention in the digital realm.

Starting in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has both accentuated the opportunities presented by digital technologies and underscored the challenges in crafting and revising policies for cultural and creative industries. Currently, issues such as artificial intelligence, platform regulation, and the discoverability of online cultural content are questioning fundamental aspects of the value chain within these industries. They are also impacting international trade in digital cultural goods and services and the mobility of artists, even as strategies are being developed to harness their benefits.

For more information and to find out how to apply, please visit UNESCO’s website.