About
This section promotes activities in the field of Literature and Poetry via its international network of field offices, non-governmental organizations and national or regional poetry societies.
Copyright and neighboring rights protection is essential for enhancing individual creativity, for the development of cultural industries and the promotion of cultural diversity. Rampant piracy and low level of enforcement of copyright laws destroy the incentives for the creation and distribution of local cultural products in all the countries of the world and reveal the need for concerted efforts to encourage creativity and to foster sustainable development.
Committed to promoting copyright protection since its early days (the Universal Copyright Convention was adopted under UNESCO’s aegis in 1952), UNESCO has over time grown concerned with ensuring general respect for copyright in all fields of creation and cultural industries. It conducts, in the framework of the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, awareness-raising and capacity-building projects, in addition to information, training and research in the field of copyright law. It is particularly involved in developing new initiatives to fight against piracy.
The digital revolution has not left copyright protection unaffected. UNESCO endeavours to make a contribution to the international debate on this issue, taking into account the development perspective and paying particular attention to the need of maintaining the fair balance between the interests of authors and the interest of the general public of access to knowledge and information.
The Organization's main partner in matters of literature is the International PEN Federation. The main programmes being implemented with its cooperation are as follows:
* Exchange of information and expertise in the field of literature
* Promotion of literature for improved international cooperation
* Protection of writers against censorship
* Improvement of authors' circumstances, particularly those of women
* Protection of linguistic rights and endangered languages
The idea of taking international action for the promotion of poetry has led to recognition of and given fresh impetus to national, regional and worldwide initiatives in favour of poetry. The main aim of this action is to encourage linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to provide endangered languages with an opportunity to be heard in their communities. The principal instrument in this respect is the World Poetry Directory which has been giving information about poetry activities worldwide since 2000. This website also lists festivals, prizes, magazines and associations, and provides links to other major websites presenting poetry activities in UNESCO's Member States, Associate Members and non-Member States. The activities of the International Information Exchange Centre on Literary Translation, and those relating to young people’s literature and reading, help to complete the picture.
Organization
Agricultural Sciences
Astronomy and Physics
Biological (Life) Sciences
Chemistry
Culture and Media Art
Economics, Management, and Financial Markets
Engineering Science and Industrial Engineering
Geology and Environmental
Law and Political Science
Literature and Poetry
Mathematics and Computer
Medical Sciences
Social and Behavioral
Committee members |
