National workshop on the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD)

The workshop aims to:
- Sensitize civil society on the concept and mechanisms of the 2005 Convention and the eminent role civil society plays in its implementation
- Inform and train civil society actors on the preparation of applications for funding to the International Fund for Cultural Diversity and on the project selection procedure.
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions ("2005 Convention") is an international normative instrument providing a framework for the governance of culture based on the fundamental principles of freedom of expression, gender equality, balance and openness to other cultures and expressions of the world, as well as the complementarity of economic and cultural aspects of sustainable development, as defined in Part I ("Objectives and guiding principles") of the Convention.

The International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) is a multi-donor fund established by Article 18 of the 2005 Convention. Its objective is to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries that are Parties to the Convention. This can be achieved through support for projects aimed at fostering the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector, mainly through activities facilitating the establishment and/or development of policies and strategies aimed at protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions; and the strengthening of institutional infrastructures by supporting sustainable cultural industries. The IFCD is used in particular to promote South-South and North-South-South cooperation, while contributing to concrete and lasting results as well as structuring effects, where appropriate in the cultural field.

Since 2010, the IFCD has provided approximately 6 million USD for 90 projects in 51 developing countries, covering a wide range of fields, cultural policy development and implementation, capacity building for cultural entrepreneurs, cultural industries and the creation of new economic models for the cultural industries. As a Party to the 2005 Convention, Tunisia (government authorities, public institution and Tunisian NGOs) is eligible to apply for funding from the IFCD.