Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
In the UK, the Government is committed to the protection and promotion of cultural diversity, and the provisions of the Convention are reflected in both its policies and its legislation. In relation to Articles 2 & 5 of the Convention, the UK is a party to the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which implemented the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UK is also party to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is incorporated into domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Government undertakes significant work in providing information on the various grant making bodies which are available to assist the creative industries, and
sponsoring bodies in culture and the arts. Cultural diversity is recognised as a significant factor in the cultural life of the United Kingdom, and it is Government
policy to ensure that subsidised artistic activity reflects the full range of that diversity.
In doing so, it meets the commitments under Article 7 of the Convention. Other UK legislation contributing to a legal framework in which the diversity of
cultural expression is protected includes the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, which protects the rights of authors, publishers, directors and performers: and the Equality Act 2010, which provides for equal access to goods, facilities, and services, and imposes a new duty on public authorities to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunities when exercising their functions.
Responsibility for the international dimension to the Convention is vested in the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), one of the world’s leading
development ministries, which fosters the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals in countries across the world. At the heart of the DFID approach to development is an understanding of the socio-economic and cultural context in which its work takes place.