Culture clash pits US against allies

The US today found itself isolated at the UN’s cultural agency, with even traditional ally Britain in the opposing camp over a proposed pact on cultural diversity that the US ambassador said could be used to erect trade barriers against cultural exports.

“This has been a very disappointing experience, both in terms of the process and the substance. This is not the way most negotiations go in multilateral international organisations,” US Ambassador to Unesco Louise Oliver said.