Speakers For Devising Effective Cultural Policies

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21th july, 2016) : Speakers on Thursday shared the importance of diversity of cultural goods and services, which were repossessing enormous potential for socio-economic and sustainable development of the country.

Speaking at a consultative meeting with culture and creative sector stakeholders from Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa speakers urged for a participatory process for policy-making and made recommendations for the signing of UNESCO 2005 Convention for the protection and promotion of diversity of cultural expressions.

They reaffirmed their commitment for continuous advocacy to devising effective policies and strategies for Pakistan's culture and creative sectors both at Federal and provincial levels. UNESCO Pakistan had organized last consultation meeting on policies for Pakistan's culture and creative sector.

Earlier, similar consultations were held in Lahore and Karachi with representation from the Government of Balochistan. The consultations were funded by the Government of Denmark under a program implemented with support from Centre for Culture and Development (CKU). Secretary National History and Literary Division, Mohsin S Haqqani reaffirmed the government's commitment to promote the diversity of cultural expression and initiatives for boosting Pakistan's creative sector.

He extended his gratitude to UNESCO for the organization of the consultation. He mentioned that the creation of a policy working group and key recommendations from these consultations will help the government in adopting appropriate and transparent polices for culture and creativity.

He also mentioned that the government was undertaking preparations to sign the UNESCO 2005 Convention. Speaking at the opening ceremony, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan, Ms. Vibeke Jensen informed that the recommendations coming out of the three workshops will be shared in meetings later this year with both federal and provincial governments and parliamentarians to encourage a signing of the Convention.

More than a 144 UNESCO Member States have signed the Convention since 2005 when it was adopted. She stressed that the convention advocates for the introduction of policies and measures that nurture creativity, provide access for creators to participate in domestic and international marketplaces where their artistic works and expressions can be recognized and compensate and ensure that these expressions are accessible to the broader public. Senator Rubina Khalid and Programme Advisor CKU Pakistan Programme Ms.

Ammara Durrani were also present on the occasion and deliberated on the culture and creative sector policy.