China's lawmakers have ratified a convention on protecting
cultural diversity at the 25th session of the 10th Standing
Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) which closed in
Beijing on Friday.
The convention aims to protect and promote cultural diversity by
increasing the ability of developing countries in this regard
through dialogue and international cooperation.
It also reiterates the rights of a state to take measures to
protect the cultural diversity within its borders.
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This convention, along with the Convention for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Culture Heritage and the Convention Concerning the
Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, forms the
international system of law in protecting world heritage and
cultural diversity.
The ratification would help China protect its culture, promote
the development of a cultural industry and reverse an imbalance in
cultural trade, said Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng.
Gao Jianping, a research fellow from the Chinese Academy of
Social Sciences, said the government should invite experts to
explain the convention to the general public and brief them on the
background to it. This would assist raise awareness of the issues
involved.?
The convention was passed at the 33rd session of the General
Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in October 2005 and will come into
effect three months after 30 countries ratify it.
As 35 countries had already ratified the convention by December
18 it'll take effect on March 18, 2007.
Also on Friday members of the Tenth NPC Standing Committee
decided that the fifth full session of the Tenth NPC of China will
convene on March 5 next year.
The NPC Standing Committee members also adopted resolutions to
submit the drafts of the corporate tax and property laws to the
fifth full session of the national legislature for
deliberation.
The Standing Committee also proposed other agenda items for the
NPC annual session including discussion of the government work
report, debating and approving a report on the implementation of
the national economic and social development plan for 2006 and the
national economic and social development program for 2007.
Other issues include examining and approving reports on the
implementation of the central and local budgets for 2006 and on the
draft central and local budgets for 2007. There's also deliberation
of work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's
Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
The agenda of the full session includes discussing the draft
resolution on deputy quotas and election issues of the 11th NPC and
discussion on the draft methods of electing 11th NPC deputies in
Hong Kong and Macao.
(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2006)