In 2006, the Harper government granted Quebec the possibility of having a representative at UNESCO within the Canadian delegation. This is what was nicely called a folding seat that allowed Quebec, without occupying its own seat, to speak at meetings of the UN organization responsible for education and culture.
In an interview given to Duty Before flying to Paris on Monday, the Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe, expressed his wish that Quebec become a full member of UNESCO. But this is in an ideal world: only members of the UN, all sovereign countries, can obtain a seat at UNESCO. Palestine, however, is an exception.
There is indeed an associate member status for states which, like Quebec, do not have full jurisdiction over their international relations, but this little-claimed status is not as advantageous as the folding seat used by Quebec and which ensures a real voice in the meetings of the organization. At least that is what is maintained in government offices.
The minister has undoubtedly gone too far in formulating his wish. Only sovereignty would allow Quebec to become a full member of UNESCO.
Jumping at the chance, Québec solidaire MP Ruba Ghazal presented a motion to the National Assembly, supported by both the Liberals and the PQ, demanding that the CAQ government take all necessary steps to obtain the coveted seat. The leader of the Coalition avenir Québec obviously did not give his consent for the motion to be debated.
But even if Quebec succeeds in convincing Ottawa, which is doubtful, the United Nations Assembly should adopt a resolution to change its rules in order to accommodate the Quebec nation, a completely illusory prospect.
Québec’s presence at UNESCO is an illustration of the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine, which wants Québec to be able to act on the international scene in its fields of competence. Remember that it was under the impetus of Quebec jurists and the Government of Quebec that the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was adopted by a majority of UNESCO member countries in 2005.
However, the rise of major digital platforms threatens this diversity. The convention on cultural expressions must be modernized to take account of this evolution. At UNESCO, Quebec and Canada have supported the establishment of a think tank on digital technology. Quebec presented an amendment this week, which was adopted, so that the specifically “linguistic” diversity of online cultural content be the subject of reflection. For the Minister, one of the main effects of the digitization of culture is to divert the Quebec public, particularly young people, from their own culture. This is the case in many countries around the world. He thinks he can find support to counter what he calls “American cultural imperialism”.
But it is riveted to his folding seat in a delegation from an already largely Americanized English-speaking country that Mathieu Lacombe will have to fight his battle. We are not close to a contradiction in this country without common sense.