RESOLUTION(1)

on the cultural dimension in development cooperation, including matters relating to heritage and tourism

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 29 March to 1 April 1999,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament (COM(1998)563) on a European Community strategy to support the development of sustainable tourism in the developing countries,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament (COM(1998)667) on a European Community strategy for private sector development in ACP countries,

- having regard to Council Regulation No 2836/98 of 22 December 1998 on integrating gender issues in development cooperation,

- having regard to the resolutions of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on education and training,

- having regard to the resolutions of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on rural and urban sustainable development,

- having regard to the resolutions of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on conflict prevention,

- having regard to the report "Our Creative Diversity" of the World Commission of Culture and Development, drawn up for the UN and UNESCO, published in November 1995 and forwarded to the UN in autumn 1996,

- having regard to the UNESCO Action Plan adopted at the Intergovernmental Conference on "Cultural policy for development" which was held in Stockholm from 30 March to 2 April 1998,

A. whereas cultural cooperation is one of the principal means of promoting mutual understanding amongst the people of Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Europe and of promoting a better knowledge of the civilisations of the various countries,

B. whereas cultural measures are of particular significance for sustainable local, regional and national development and whereas, particularly in local development projects, culture and cultural projects promote progressive socio-economic development,

C. whereas cultural goods must be preserved, as they are of enormous historical, artistic, educational, social and economic value, which is normally closely associated with the reputation of a region for purposes of tourism, because a well-preserved cultural heritage of high quality is attractive to visitors, tourists and investors,

D. whereas respect for cultural identities and tolerance for cultural and other differences in a context of plural democratic values are among the preconditions for lasting and just peace,

E. whereas the living cultivation of cultural traditions and activities can enhance the self-respect and self-confidence of the people, and whereas active participation by the people in cultural activities can contribute to conflict prevention,

F. whereas an increasing number of people are travelling to ACP destinations, which represents a major opportunity for the cultural and economic enrichment of the peoples of Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Europe,

G. whereas the next ACP-EU Convention must facilitate cultural and tourist exchanges between the signatory countries,

1. Considers that the cultural dimension should be assigned a significantly higher priority as one of the main components of comprehensive and sustainable development cooperation in coordination with other fields of ACP cooperation policy;

2. Calls on the Commission and Member States to support the ACP countries in their efforts to promote environmentally and socially sustainable tourism and to preserve and cultivate the cultural heritage, which may comprise both non-material and material assets, and to incorporate this aspiration into the future convention with the ACP countries in an appropriate form and help minimise tampering with ACP artefacts;

3. Stresses the need to promote the creative potential of people by means of general regional and local cultural policies and to use it for local initiatives which reflect cultural diversity and if appropriate to give ethnic, religious or other minorities the necessary scope for their traditional cultural forms of expression and customs;

4. Considers that special attention should be devoted to the link between culture and education, that the development of artistic and creative talents should be assigned an appropriate place at all levels of education, and that instruction in the arts and in crafts should form part even of the primary education of girls and boys;

5. Proposes that exchange programmes between ACP and EU universities should be made a priority within the sphere of ACP-EU cooperation, in particular by means of twinning experiments between universities, in order, inter alia, to facilitate the mobility of ACP and EU students;

6. Observes that it is essential to involve the local population and local-community decision-makers directly in programmes to preserve the cultural heritage and promote tourism in order to achieve general acceptance and a readiness to identify with the measures and their history, and observes that participation by women on an equal footing ought in particular to be facilitated and promoted;

7. Considers that cooperation between governments, the private sector and civil-society organisations in the field of culture is essential, to which end an appropriate legal framework should be created;

8. Considers that promoting small and medium-sized enterprises in fields directly or indirectly associated with tourism, preserving the cultural heritage and organising cultural events, such as museums, memorials, hotels, restaurants, the operation of nature parks, travel agencies, trade or small business operations have a key role to play in creating jobs and generating economic activity;

9. Stresses the need to create opportunities to obtain training and instruction in the restoration and rehabilitation of the cultural and natural heritage, including passing on traditional methods and use of traditional materials;

10. Notes that preserving and reviving the "classical" culture, such as singing, dance, painting, theatre and music, requires tuition in the disciplines concerned, which means that appropriate support needs to be provided for training in the performing arts;

11. Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the ACP countries, in accordance with general development objectives and priorities, to earmark an appropriate proportion of support funds for investment in the cultural sector and to promote environmentally and socially sustainable tourism;

12. Stresses the importance of research, compilation of inventories, registration and cataloguing of the cultural heritage, including oral traditions, and the need to protect buildings, cultural sites and landscapes as part of urban and rural development planning;

13. Firmly believes tourism to be one of the most important ways of enabling the peoples of the countries signatory to the ACP-EU Convention to get to know one another and hopes that, in the context of ACP-EU cultural cooperation, emphasis will be placed on supporting responsible tourism which is sustainable from the cultural and social points of view, particularly through the promotion of travel programmes designed to enable people to learn more about the cultural dimension of the ACP-EU countries;

14. Stresses that it is important to ensure that culture and the environment are not endangered by tourism, and calls on the EU Member States, the ACP countries, the Commission and the EIB, particularly in countries where tourism is a major factor, to ensure that policy on culture and tourism is geared to fostering balanced and sustainable development by carrying out assessments, identifying fields of action and coordinating dialogue between the principal participants;

15. Calls on the ACP countries, in the field of regional integration and cooperation, to ascertain the scope for the participation of networks and for cofinancing of cultural initiatives and organisations;

16. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission and UNESCO.

(1) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 1 April 1999 in Strasbourg (France).