UNESCO to fight English-language influx

A UNESCO convention aimed at protecting countries from English-language cultural standardization was poised on Monday to come into force as 14 countries were to ratify the text, the French foreign ministry said.

UNESCO’s convention on cultural diversity was adopted last year despite strong protests from the United States, which fears that the convention will be used to erect barriers against its huge entertainment industry exports.

Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden as well as the European Union were to formally notify UNESCO Monday of their ratification, a ministry spokesman said.

Read full article: Expatica France, 19 December 2006