Pre-Forum regional meetings:

Introduction

1. Within the Framework of the Universal Forum of Cultures Barcelona 2004, International Association Arte Sem Fronteiras and Interarts Foundation, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank, Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture, UNESCO-Brazil and SESC of Sao Paolo, organised an International Seminar on Diversity and Cultural Rights in Latin America on 31 March � 2 April in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The Seminar, one of the Pre-Forums to the International Congress on Cultural Rights and Human Development taking place in August 2004 in Barcelona within the Forum, aimed at fostering the importance of cultural diversity and cultural rights in the peak of globalisation in the Latin American context.

2. The seminar represents the third and last seminar within a series of seminars organized by Arte Sem Fronteires under the title �Culture and Public Policies for Development �. The first seminar on Culture and Peace took place in March 2003 at the University of Austin, Texas and the second on Culture and Sustainable Cities in November 2003 in Valparaiso, Chile.

3. The seminar also forms part of a series of regional seminars within the theme of cultural rights and cultural indicators of human development that the Interarts Foundation and the Universal Forum of Cultures 2004 organise in different countries in order to produce some concrete suggestions as regards the universal dimension of the theme as well as the regional particularities. The objective of the seminar in S�o Paolo was to encourage wide approach and debate on the issue among experts, cultural managers, civil servants and public at large.

4. Culture is understood within the framework of the seminar as an instrument of good governance, integration and socialization since culture has its place in the very core of the formulation of different types of public policies from ecology to cultural development. All this contributes to the issue on human development and the role of culture in the well-being of societies.

5. Since one of the main intentions of the seminar was to submit specific and viable proposals concerning the subjects to the Universal Forum of Cultures Barcelona 2004 as well as to the society at large, the following, non-exhaustive set of questions to be addressed during the international Seminar was proposed previously:

- It is clear that culture generates rights (such as economic ones). Nevertheless, to what extent can cultural rights in general be presented within a formal and specific Declaration of Rights?
- Are cultural rights really rights (positive principles declared and sustained by a formal law) or do they mainly apply to the content of an ethical programme?
- If they are recalled as rights, what could possibly be the instruments of their legal declaration and affirmation?
- Is it possible to affirm that cultural rights (or a minimum list of them) have universal validity? If not, to what extent can they be formalised?
- What is the relation between civil rights, human rights and cultural rights?
- Is it possible to state that cultural rights are already covered and protected by civil or human rights?
- Do cultural rights require an international court to protect them?
- What sort of cultural rights does cultural diversity require?
- What are the main cultural rights, those that can immediately present themselves as positive rights?

6. In the context of the changing international scenario due to growing migration, acceleration of information and communication processes among other factors, new cultural spaces are formed. From this perspective, the link between diversity and cultural rights grows more significant as cultural rights can function as instruments to guarantee diversity through public policies. The seminar aimed at acknowledging that dialogue between different cultures and cultural realities is needed as well as reflection and debate on diversity, rights and policies from different angles in different countries, regions and continents.

7. The programme was designed with the idea of encouraging exchange of ideas and giving space to debate. Regional and international experts from seven different countries and local observers were invited to take part in the Seminar, and international agencies based in the country, as well as several journalists.

8. This report presents the main subjects under discussion over the three days of the Seminar.

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