Introduction

Abstract

During its 33rd General Conference on 20 October 2005, UNESCO adopted the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions with a vast majority, after a relatively short period of roughly 2 years of negotiating and political bargaining. The Convention aims at developing and supporting conditions which contribute to the protection of cultural diversity on the basis of international law. The core issue is the protection of cultural diversity in the context of globalization and free trade. As expressed by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, the new regulations are also to be seen as UNESCO’s contribution to redefining the rules of globalization.