FIA delegates welcome the Beijing Treaty

FIA delegates were enthusiastic and hopeful after the Treaty on audiovisual performances was eventually finalised and signed in Beijing on June 26^th. Agnete Haaland, Jean Rogers, Simon Burke and Ferne Downey, four of the FIA delegates who attended the diplomatic conference, were asked to comment on this historical step forward for performers’ rights. Click here to watch the video.

“What is important is that actors all over the world will actually be able to keep on working and be protected when they work.” – Agnete Haaland, President of FIA

“There’s sometimes a feeling that anyone can do [our work] whereas in point of fact we are proud to be artists, we train, we have experience, we feel we have a value and I feel the most wonderful and significant part of today is that that value is now being recognized.” – Jean Rogers, Vice-president of Equity (UK)

“It’s about protecting all of us because performing is an incredibly difficult life that you choose. You have to really want to do it to make it your career because it is such a hard career.” – Simon Burke, President of MEAA’s Equity (Australia)

“We’re all going to start the really hard work of going home to our governments and saying: we’ve done this in the world, now you at home in my government wake up, implement this, ratify this, make it international legislation, make it real!” – Ferne Downey, President of ACTRA (Canada)

You can watch other videos from the conference as well as one including international actors such as Javier Bardem, Meryl Streep and Antonio Banderas, calling for a Treaty before the conference by following the links here below.

FIA delegates welcome Beijing Treaty
Other videos related to the WIPO diplomatic conference
International Actors' call for the Treaty before the Diplomatic Conference