IPA - International Publishers Association Inc.

02/25/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/25/2026 04:35

IPA participates in UNESCO meeting to protect and promote of the cultural diversity

IPA participates in UNESCO meeting to protect and promote of the cultural diversity

In Paris on 17-20 February, IPA Vice President, Giovanni Hoepli, and Secretary General, José Borghino, participated in the 19th meeting of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The meeting also marked the 20th anniversary of UNESCO's landmark 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the first international treaty to give cultural goods a special status - having cultural as well as economic value - and recognizing culture as a global public good.

At its previous meeting in 2025 the Committee agreed to revise the Operational Guidelines of the Convention to better reflect the impact of the rise of artificial intelligence on cultural and creative industries in the digital environment. The revision is underway but will not be implemented until 2027. The Committee is also moving forward with a preliminary study on feasible options to strengthen the Convention's legal framework, including the drafting of a new binding Protocol to the treaty that would relate to digital practices, including AI. The IPA is closely monitoring these developments.

While in Paris, Hoepli and Borghino met with UNESCO officials working on World Book Capital Cities, the Global Education Coalition, and the UN's Strategic Development Goal 4: Quality Education. They also met with representatives of IPA's member in France, Le Syndicat National de l'Edition, the French education publishers association, international NGOs, and member states of UNESCO.

UNESCO Meeting

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