Cultural Diversity Ministerial Forum
Dhaka Declaration calls to strengthen cooperation
Vowing to strengthen bilateral, regional and international cooperation to promote the diversity of cultural expression, a three-day conference, “Cultural Diversity Ministerial Forum of the Asia-Pacific Region 2012”, concluded yesterday through the adoption of “Dhaka Declaration”.
The declaration emphasises on facilitating dialogue among people and states on cultural policies to raise awareness on and promote, support and protect the diversity of cultural expressions and cooperate on sustainable development and poverty reduction.
It also underscored the need to develop a platform for cross-sector dialogue and cooperation with the civil society to ensure active participation of a myriad of voices in the policymaking and implementation processes.
The declaration calls upon United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) to assist in implementing the declaration throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
It points out the necessity to raise awareness on the Unesco “Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression” of 2005 to increase the number of ratifying countries and facilitate its implementation.
Twelve out of 44 countries of the region, including Bangladesh, ratified the Unesco convention.
Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad read out the declaration at the capital's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in presence of ministers and representatives of 33 countries of the region.
The conference, jointly organised by Bangladesh's Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Unesco, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The conference hosted six seminars and an exhibition on the cultural diversity of Bangladesh at the hotel and cultural programmes with the participation of renowned artists of the country at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Unesco Director General Irina Bokova, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Chief Information Commissioner Muhammad Zamir, International Theatre Institute Worldwide President Ramendu Majumdar and delegates from the participating countries were present at the concluding session.
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