Guinea

• © Philippe Bordas / UNESCO
• Cultural space of Sosso-Bala in Niagassola

Guinea joined UNESCO on 2 February 1960. The country is covered by the UNESCO office in Bamako (Mali).

Having established a democratically-elected government, the country is emerging from sociopolitical crisis

Since May 2007, Guinea is implementing UNESCO’s Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), to achieve UN Literacy Decade goals. UNESCO also supports capacity-building for Guinea’s teachers.

In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed the cultural space of Sosso-Bala in Niagassola a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The Sosso-Bala, a sacred musical instrument, symbolizes freedom and cohesion for the Manding people.

A project to restore Guinea’s national museum, damaged by floods in June 2007, is in development.