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Post by phil on Oct 12, 2005 7:41:40 GMT -5
  Nice flag ... |
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Post by Dr. Drum on Oct 12, 2005 15:40:05 GMT -5
You were just looking for an excuse to post those, weren't you, Phil? ;D
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Post by phil on Oct 12, 2005 15:53:43 GMT -5
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Post by phil on Oct 12, 2005 16:11:09 GMT -5
That guy should stick to taking pictures of icebergs IMO...
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Post by phil on Oct 17, 2005 22:44:41 GMT -5
Culture clash pits U.S. against traditional allies like Canada at UN agency
11:36 PM EDT Oct 17
JOELLE DIDERICH
PARIS (CP) - The United States found itself isolated Monday at the United Nation's cultural agency, with even traditional allies like Canada in the opposing camp over a proposed pact on cultural diversity that the U.S. ambassador said could be used to erect trade barriers against cultural exports.
"This has been a very disappointing experience, both in terms of the process and the substance. This is not the way most negotiations go in multilateral international organizations," said U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO Louise Oliver.
In a separate address to the UNESCO assembly, she said the proposed text was "deeply flawed." Canada has been a "key player" in developing the agreement since 1998, according to a release from Minister of Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla.
"Our efforts to get this Convention adopted by Member States of UNESCO are driven by our unshakeable commitment to protect and promote Canada's rich cultural diversity, including our aboriginal heritage and the boundless creativity of Canadians," said Frulla.
"It is a balanced and reasonable text which meets Canada's core objectives."
Frulla met with ministers from "a number of key countries to ensure that Canada can count on their support" when the pact comes to a vote, according to the release.
Oliver complained the United States, which rejoined the organization in 2003 after a 19-year absence, was not given a fair chance to discuss its proposed amendments.
"Under the provisions of the convention as drafted, any state, in the name of cultural diversity, might invoke the ambiguous provisions of this convention to try to assert a right to erect trade barriers to goods or services that are deemed to be cultural expressions," the U.S. representative said.
"That term - cultural expressions - has never been clearly defined and therefore is open to wide misinterpretation."
The proposed convention aims to protect cultural diversity, promote ethnic traditions and minority languages, and protect local cultures from the negative impacts of globalization, UNESCO says.
The majority of UNESCO's member states support the project.
Britain's ambassador, Timothy Craddock, also spoke in favour of the draft text, calling it "clear, carefully balanced, consistent with the principles of international law and fundamental human rights."
He also said the European Union believes that the convention was "frequently and thoroughly negotiated by all parties, most of whom have made several compromises during this process."
He spoke on the EU's behalf because Britain currently holds the 25-nation bloc's rotating presidency.
The meeting of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization votes on the text Thursday. It then needs to be ratified separately by 30 of the 191 member states to take effect.
French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres hailed the text as a recognition of France's long-held contention that cultural activities should be given separate consideration in trade talks and are "not a merchandise like any other."
"We are no longer the black sheep on this issue," he said.
Paris has invoked what it calls the "cultural exception" to defend its subsidies for the film industry and quotas that limit how much foreign content can be broadcast on French television and radio.
The draft text says cultural goods and services have a "distinctive nature" and that countries have a right "to maintain, adopt, and implement policies and measures that they deem appropriate for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions on their territory."
The United States pulled out of UNESCO in 1984, accusing the agency of anti-American bias and corruption.
U.S. first lady Laura Bush said that the decision to rejoin in the 2003 was a signal that her husband, U.S. President George W. Bush, wants to work with other countries.
Asked if the United States is again thinking of withdrawing from UNESCO, Oliver said: "That's not under discussion."
She said U.S. objections were not based on trying to ensure open markets for Hollywood movies.
"We are not looking at it in that kind of narrow perspective. We're looking at it in terms of cultural liberty," she said in an interview. "One would have expected an effort to listen to our concerns."
She told the UNESCO meeting that negotiations seemed to have been driven by "a desire for speed, rather than a demand for a quality consensus text."
"The door to negotiations that might have led to consensus . . . was slammed shut in the face of unresolved, legitimate and reasonable US concerns," she said.
© The Canadian Press, 2005
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Post by phil on Oct 17, 2005 22:50:33 GMT -5
Or... Like Frank Zappa used to say :
In the fight between you and the world, back the world.
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Post by Dr. Drum on Oct 19, 2005 10:13:56 GMT -5
Remember this one come the next federal election: Canada is one of the worst environmental performers in the industrialized world, according to a comprehensive new report released today by the David Suzuki Foundation.
The Maple Leaf in the OECD: Comparing progress toward sustainability finds Canada ranks 28th out of the 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development based on 29 key environmental indicators. These include: energy consumption, water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, pesticide use, and amount of protected areas.www.davidsuzuki.org/WOL/News_Releases/web_of_life10180501.asp |
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Post by Dr. Drum on Nov 1, 2005 6:49:56 GMT -5
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Post by phil on Nov 1, 2005 8:57:35 GMT -5
Waiting for the Gomery report
to light a fuse under the Liberals' stupid ass ...
Bunch of IDIOTS !!
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Post by phil on Nov 1, 2005 8:59:23 GMT -5
HÉ ! At least Ashley's still on the page
to greet us and raise the flag ... ÔÔ ...
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Post by Dr. Drum on Nov 1, 2005 9:12:27 GMT -5
Hey, I figured with the amount of Gomery we’re going to be hearing again, no one would even want to go there.
Not impossible the government could fall over this. Anyone want an election for Christmas?
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Post by phil on Nov 1, 2005 9:14:21 GMT -5
I'm sure the BLOC wouldn't mind ... !!
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Post by Dr. Drum on Nov 6, 2005 8:07:20 GMT -5
Conservatives ahead in the polls. Steven will give himself an aneurysm trying to find a way to bring down the government now!
BTW, I hate how the media keep referring to this pack as "Tories". They have nothing whatsoever to do with old line Tory philosophy. I can see why they would want to appropriate the name, of course, but why are journalists being so goddamn lazy-minded about it?
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Post by Rit on Nov 6, 2005 8:14:46 GMT -5
yeah, i heard on the news that Harper is going to try and bring an election by Christmas?!
yeah, the old Tories were Edmund Burke and the rest. But then, the old Republicans were nothing like the Repubs now. the journalists seem to want to maintain the illusion of continuity.
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Post by rockkid on Nov 6, 2005 12:22:42 GMT -5
The "Bloc" is busy with margarine in Montreal apparently.  |
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