Once again, because of an adventurous statement by Minister of Culture Mathieu Lacombe, the famous question of Quebec’s presence at UNESCO is back on the table.
The agreement between the government of Quebec and the government of Canada was signed in May 2006. It is recognized that “in Canada, the specificity of Quebec, based among other things on the use of the French language and a unique culture , leads it to play a special role at the international level”. So, from the outset, the specificity of Quebec is recognized there, as well as its role on the international level. It’s not nothing !
I was Québec’s representative at UNESCO from 2011 to 2014. When I was appointed, I knew the organization very well, having been the president of the Canadian Commission from 2006 to 2010, president of the International Bioethics Committee of UNESCO from 2002 to 2005, and visiting researcher at the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning, which trains educational planners in several countries. So, I knew the institution as well as its various missions in education, culture, human sciences, natural sciences and communication.
I accepted this position because I believed that the presence of Québec was a tremendous asset that allowed it to assert its expertise and to enter into contact freely with representatives from 195 countries. And I was not disappointed. I was able to work and give my opinion in many meetings during his years, and among other things contribute to the definition of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education, and to the definition of the budgetary reorientations of the organization required by the the annual contribution from the United States.
This presence of a permanent representative of Quebec has enabled ministers and senior Quebec officials to speak at the general conference, to participate in several conferences of their choice and to enrich our partner networks. As Francophones and thanks to our skills in education, we have been invited to take part in round tables on education, bioethics and culture, and to take part in exhibitions. Countries like Scotland and Catalonia came to consult us to find out how we functioned at UNESCO.
More than a jump seat
Of course, we are not a country. Some have pointed out that it would have been better to be an associate member. However, the Constitution of UNESCO states that: “Territories or groups of territories which do not themselves assume responsibility for the conduct of their external relations may be admitted as Associate Members by the General Conference by a majority two-thirds of the members present and voting, if such admission has been requested, on behalf of each of these territories or groups of territories, by the Member State or the authority, whatever it may be, which assumes responsibility for the conduct of external relations. »
Therefore, if Quebec had wished to be an associate member, it would have had to recognize, under Article II (3) of the Constitution of UNESCO, that it is not responsible for its international relations. — a direct repudiation of the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine — and obtain, in addition to the endorsement of the Canadian government, and that of two-thirds of the Conference, which remains inconceivable for the member states, whether they are in a unitary system such as the France or the United Kingdom, or for federations like the United States or Russia.
This statute is, in my opinion, more than a folding seat. Rather, it is a springboard. It is a unique precedent in the entire UN system and allows Quebec to make useful and original contributions whose merit is due to it. This has been seen both with regard to the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and in education, or by hosting the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology of UNESCO in Quebec at the fall 2014.
I’ve held many roles in my life that involved different administrative arrangements, and I believe that partnerships can be productive and mutually beneficial if not undermined by power plays.
I even had, at the end of my stay, an invitation from the director at the time, Irina Bokova, to a one-on-one lunch with her, a meeting during which she pointed out to me how much the work of Quebec was appreciated. In short, far from being a folding seat, the agreement proved to be a springboard thanks to the work of its successive representatives and the concerted work of the Ministère des Relations internationales with the partner departments concerned.