Session
Organizer 1: Véronique Guèvremont, Université Laval
Organizer 2: Emmanuel Vergès, Observatoire des politiques culturelles & L'office
Organizer 3: Sylvain Martet, Artenso
Speaker 1: Véronique Guèvremont, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Iris Richer, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Clémence VARIN, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Destiny Tchéhouali, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Emmanuel Vergès, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Sylvain Martet, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Sylvain Martet, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Classroom
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The duration of the workshop (90 minutes) is ideal for a panel of four speakers, as it allows for a more in-depth presentation of the subject under study and ensures that the four interventions are well interrelated, while leaving time for questions from/interaction with the audience. The room layout as a classroom seems to be the most appropriate for the format of this workshop, as it will be more convivial than a theater.
A. In what way can public policies guarantee the discoverability of online cultural content and promote the realization of the cultural rights of everyone?
B. What are the responsibilities of private-sector companies regarding the discoverability of cultural content in the digital environment?
C. To what extent is the discoverability of a diversity of cultural content an issue related to Internet governance?
What will participants gain from attending this session? First, this workshop will raise awareness on the respect, protection and implementation of cultural rights in the digital environment by States, taking into consideration the role of private actors. Indeed, these rights are still largely ignored and overlooked in the digital space. Second, this workshop will give participants the opportunity to learn more about the concept of “discoverability”, an increasingly important issue that is of concern to a number of organizations, including UNESCO and the OIF. Third, it will also bring the participants to reflect on the role the IGF could play in making local cultural content more discoverable to allow all population to have genuine access to their cultural expressions. The initiatives presented could inspire the work of the attendees in their own countries. We hope that the discussions will enable to take the concept of discoverability further and strengthen it even more.
Description:
The digital environment makes available extensive catalogues of films, music or other cultural content from all over the world and changes the way cultural expressions are enjoyed. Unfortunately, studies show that digital technologies also reduce access to some cultural contents, preventing individuals to enjoy their own culture and participate in cultural life online. It is an infringement of their cultural rights and a major barrier to the inclusion of all populations in the Internet landscape. With that in mind, the need to improve the governance of multinational cultural content platforms, has become clear. The concept of “discoverability”, refering to the ability for an online content to be easily found by those who were not looking for it, has been put forward in organizations such as UNESCO (Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions; Recommandation on the Ethics of AI) and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) as part of the solution to promote local content.
The four interventions of this workshop will focus on the discoverability of local content in the digital environment:
- Iris Richer will explore the links between the right of everyone to participate in cultural life, and the discoverability of cultural content in the digital environment.
- Véronique Guèvremont will present the results of a multidisciplinary research project on the discoverability of cultural content in the digital environment, and particularly its socio-technical and legal aspects.
- Destiny Tchéhouali will focus on the main initiatives and reflections that resulted from the advocacy strategies and actions put in place by the OIF regarding the discoverability of Francophone cultural content.
- Clémence Varin will close the loop by questioning the relevant international forums to be mobilized to ensure discoverability of a diversity of cultural content on the Internet. The role of the IGF will be a particular focus.
This panel will provide an opportunity to share the results of an interdisciplinary research project conducted by the Observatoire des politiques culturelles (France) and the UNESCO Chair on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, funded by two Ministry of Culture (Quebec (Canada) and France). A written publication will be released in 2025, following the IGF Summit.
The outcome of this panel could also feed into the work done at the OIF and UNESCO. Véronique Guèvremont and Destiny Tchéhouali are both part of the UNESCO Reflection Group on the diversity of cultural expressions in the digital environment, one of whose work themes is the discoverability of national and local cultural content on digital platforms. In charge of reflecting on the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the digital environment, this group will present its work at the Convention’s Intergovernmental Committee in February 2025.
Hybrid Format: The interaction between speakers and attendees will mostly be facilitated by the onsite and online moderators. Their action will be prepared and coordinated to make the workshop experience as agreeable online as it is onsite. The contribution of the online moderator to the discussions will be put forward in the same way as that of the onsite moderator, as to break down the separation between onsite and remote moderation.