The Political and Cultural Stakes

Abstract

Intangible Cultural Heritage inspires lively debates and has enjoyed increasing recognition more or less everywhere in the world since 2003, when UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Inspired by Japanese heritage policies that accord a high value on the intangible, the Convention sought to promote intangible heritage to protect cultural diversity and human creativity. The Convention came into effect in April 2006 and has already been signed by more than 70 countries, such as Spain, Belgium, France, Mexico, India, China, and Japan. Yet neither Canada nor the U.S. have signed, nor have they shown any desire to do so. This plenary session seeks to articulate the political and cultural stakes explaining the Canadian and American positions on the Convention.