Message to the UNESCO Conference
from the World Conference on Culture at Hässelby Slott, March 31, 1998

We, the writers and artists gathered in the KLYS meeting here in Stockholm strongly support the following recommendations contained in the "Our Cultural Diversity" report of the world commission on culture and development, namely:

1. A permanent mechanism should be set up to report on world culture with adequate representation from all parts of the world as well as from literature and the arts;
2. The international plan for gender equality must be prepared and implemented within a specified period such as by the completion of the first decade of the new century;
3. A new charter of cultural rights protecting them as human rights should be prepared and accepted by a special session of the United Nations; and
4. A global summit must be organised before the end of the century to make firm and concrete commitments for culture and development.

We also strongly feel that following the world congress on the implementation of recommendation concerning the status of the Artists (UNESCO – 1997) and in keeping with the final Declaration made therein CLT/CONF/206/9 at no. 18 recommending that "in every country every year at least one per cent of total public funds should be allocated to artistic activities of creation, expression and dissemination", no attempt should be made to scale down this figure of merely one per cent and that the Ministers must unequivocally commit themselves to attainment of this percentage within a short time.

We also feel that UNESCO should take steps and the various member states must help in organising once in every three years a meeting like the one in Stockholm of writers and artists on culture and development. It could develop as an independent culture watch.

We are deeply concerned about the ongoing infringement of the freedom of expression of writers and artists in the world. We urge that UNESCO raise its voice when violations of a cultural right occur.