Planning for national capacity building strategies in eight countries in Africa and the Arab Region: South Sudan needs assessment completed

• 9 March 2015
• Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Madagascar, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, South Sudan,

Eight countries in Africa and the Arab Region (Comoros, Djibouti, Madagascar, Egypt, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen) are currently benefitting from UNESCO’s support to map out their needs for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage through on site national consultations. These needs, essential for the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, range from an adequate institutional and professional environment, relevant policy and legislation frameworks, as well as the capacity to carry out inventories and other safeguarding measures.

Multi-year project proposals will result of these needs assessments in order to build national capacities for the safeguarding of living heritage on a sustainable basis.
South Sudan is the first to kick off the process, having completed the needs assessment phase of the project in November 2014. Other needs assessments have recently taken place since then in Comoros and Palestine in March 2015. Djibouti and Sudan will join suite in April 2015. The preparations for national consultations in Egypt, Madagascar and Yemen are also underway.
Made possible thanks to the generous financial support from the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority in the United Arab Emirates, this initiative, as part of a capacity-building strategy of UNESCO to reinforce the safeguarding of living heritage, is implemented by six UNESCO field offices with close cooperation from the national authorities concerned and the support of the secretariat of the 2003 Convention at Headquarters.

Project:

• Strengthening national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in eight countries in Africa and the Arab Region: assessing needs and developing project proposals (1 May 2014 – 1 January 1970)