The nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was held at UNESCO Headquarters from 17 to 20 February 2026.
During this session, the Committee adopted the workplan and calendar for its future activities (2026–2027), in line with the five strategic orientations set by the Conference of Parties at its tenth session in June 2025.
It reviewed progress made in implementing the adopted recommendations concerning the implementation of the Convention in the digital environment, including proposed revisions to the Operational Guidelines to better reflect the impact of the rise of artificial intelligence models on cultural and creative industries, as well as the results of the preliminary study on feasible legal options to strengthen the Convention’s legal framework.
The Committee also examined the report on the implementation of the recommendations relating to Article 16 “Preferential treatment for developing countries,” and approved the provisional budget (2026–2027) of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity, along with funding requests submitted under the sixteenth call for projects of this Fund.
Finally, the Committee focused on collaboration with civil society organizations for an effective and participatory implementation of the Convention, by reviewing the conclusions and recommendations of the fifth edition of the Civil Society Forum.
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