Joint media release with the Hon Peter Garrett MP, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
13 February 2009
15th Meeting of the Australia International Cultural Council
Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett this week co-chaired for the first time a meeting of the Australia International Cultural Council (AICC), the Australian Government's peak advisory body on cultural diplomacy.
Members of the AICC, drawn from heads of major cultural institutions and leaders in the arts, highlighted the importance of an active cultural diplomacy program, aimed at strengthening people-to-people links and projecting an accurate picture of Australia's values and virtues to the world.
The meeting underlined the Government's commitment to deepening collaboration and coordination between the foreign affairs and arts portfolios and the private sector to more effectively deliver Australia's international cultural diplomacy objectives.
The AICC agreed on the need to strengthen cultural engagement in support of the Government's foreign and trade policy objectives, adopting new regional priorities over the next four years focussed on:
- Asia;
- the Pacific;
- the Middle East and Africa; and
- Americas and Western Europe.
The meeting also agreed on country-specific proposals for major cultural programs in:
- China, in 2010, to coincide with Australia's participation in the Shanghai World Expo;
- Korea, in 2011, to mark the 50th anniversary of full diplomatic relations; and
- India, in 2012, given the Government's commitment to bring India into the front rank of Australia's bilateral relationships.
The Council also agreed to explore opportunities to deepen cultural engagement and exchange with Africa and Latin America through focus country programs in 2013 and 2014.
The meeting endorsed the Government's commitment to enhancing OzArts Online, an arts information database detailing Australian artists' work and international programs, trade fairs and exhibitions as an international resource.
Ministers Smith and Garrett noted that the ongoing work of the AICC was important given well-targeted cultural diplomacy activities were an effective and valuable way to enhance Australia's regional and international relationships.
Media inquiries: Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555