Periodic Report Côte d'Ivoire

Since 2011, Côte d’Ivoire has been committed to modernizing the State and rebuilding its social fabric, after a decade of socio-political crisis. 

Having participated in the negotiations on the preliminary draft of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, Côte d’Ivoire has made implementation of the Convention a priority in the ongoing process to reshape the country’s cultural policy and to foster its cultural and creative industries.

That is why, in this perspective, creating and reinforcing the conditions of the diversity of Ivorian culture and its cultural expressions constitutes a fundamental challenge for the Ivorian society and for its social and economic development.

Cultural policies and measures for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions

Since ratifying the Convention in April 2007, Côte d’Ivoire has started a review process of its cultural policies and measures by adopting new measures and strategies in successive stages and retaining those adopted before 2005 which are still suited to the current context.

In terms of international cooperation, Côte d’Ivoire has signed different partnership agreements with several countries

Agreement on co-production in the audiovisual sector with France (1995) and Morocco (2010)

Cultural cooperation agreement between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso
Cooperation agreement with the Republic of Guinea in the field of training

Integrating culture in sectoral sustainable development policies

Since 2009, Côte d’Ivoire has strengthened the cultural aspects of its development policies, notably in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (DSRP 2009-2011), the Government Workplan (PTG 2011-2012) and the National Development Plan (PND 2012-2015) All these programmes include an inter-ministerial component dedicated to national cohesion and cultural diversity.

Raising awareness and fostering the participation of civil society

Following the awareness-raising initiatives led by the Secretariat of the 2005 Convention, the Ministry of Culture and Francophonie (MCF), in collaboration with the Côte d'Ivoire National Commission for UNESCO, has been engaged in consultations with cultural and communication professionals and cultural associations to include them in the promotion of the Convention and to involve them in the development of the periodic report.

Main results achieved and challenges encountered in the implementation of the Convention

Main results:

• draft national cultural policy/draft publishing industry development policy (2006-2008);
• Support Fund for Culture and Artistic Creation (FSCCA) to finance creativity and promote the diversity of cultural expressions (2009);
• National Office of Cinema (ONAC-CI), with the Support Fund for the Film Industry (FONSIC);
• Press Support and Development Fund (FSDP), to promote freedom and diversity of opinion.

Main challenges:

• knowledge and understanding of the Convention and of the role of culture in sustainable development;
• effective implementation and monitoring of the Convention at the national level;
• constraints related to budget and specialized human resources.