Kuwait 2016 report

General Information

Executive Summary

Please summarize in max 3500 characters the main achievements and challenges in implementing the Convention and the outlook for the future. Please note this is not an introduction to the report or an annotated table of contents.

The Amiri decree to create the National Council for Culture , Arts and Letters ( NCCAL) was issued on 17 July 1973. The NCCAL main role is to lead the practice of culture , arts and intellectual development and to promote their local and international applications. The NCCAL achievements and goals are and not limited to :

1-Organize cultural events and publish cultural productions that serve development of local culture,international cultural exchanges ,and encouragement of diverse cultural expression .

2-Work to Increase in total number of attendees to these above montioned events .

3-Work to Increase public awareness of the importance and necessity of such cultural promotions .

4-Support all promoters of various types of culture ( writers , singers , artists ...etc ) .

Technical Information

Party:

Kuwait

Date of ratification:

3/8/2007

Organization(s) or entity(es) responsible for the preparation of the report:

NCCAL

Officially designated Point of Contact

Title:

First Name:

ALi

Family Name:

Al Youha

Organization:

National Council for Culture , Arts and Letters

Mailing Address:

National Council for Culture , Arts and Letters - State of Kuwait - Kuwait City-Sharq

Telephone:

00965-2292944

Fax:

00965-22423842

E-mail:

hnd.alqattan@hotmail.com

Name of stakeholders, including civil society organizations, involved in the preparation of the report:

Describe the multi-stakeholder consultation process established for the preparation of this report

The NCCAL created a committee with members from each department with the help of Kuwait Central Statistics Agency that contacted different government , private and civil society institutions , in order to gather information and data to help satisfy some of the report requirements .

Overview of Cultural Policy Context

Parties shall describe the key objectives and priorities of their current cultural policy and the impact the Convention has had in their formulation or reformulation. They will also report on the opportunities and challenges to promote the diversity of cultural expressions in a digital environment.:

The NCCAL goals coincide with the goals of the Convention and always have been .

a) It is (or has been) the basis for changing one or more policies?:

How?

b) It is (or has been) a tool to promote policy discussion?

c) It is (or has been) a reference for ongoing policy development?

Policies and Measures

No measure added

Civil Society

Parties

Have you taken initiatives involving civil society in activities to:

Promote the objectives of the convention through awareness raising and other activities:

Yes

Please explain how:

There are annual attempts by the NCCAL to cooperate with civil society and various other social organizations such as , AL Shaheed Office , in addition to cooperating with individual young artists and providing them with opprtunities to express their own understanding of art and culture . Al Qurain Annual Festival is another example where civil society organizations have great opportunity to participate in expressing diverse cultural points of view .

The NCCAL also provided some of its sites to function as permanent locations to some civil society organizations , such as cinema society , public libraries society and Loyac ( a non-profit organization working towards the overall development of the youth ) .

Also as an attempt to include young minds in the diverse expresion of culture , the NCCAL attempted to reach out to college students in many of its events and activities such as : the Biennale Exhibition , the UNESCO Conference on 2015 , the signing of the Cultural Heritage Convention and the restoration of cultural sites .

There are also attempts by the NCCAL to incorporate the efforts of both the civil society and private sector in cultural expression i.e Hala February Festival ( an entire month of cultural , trade and entertainment activities in celebration of Kuwait National Day .

The Civil society cotributed to the diversity of cultural expression by designating galleries for fine arts such as : Bo Shihri Gallery and Sheikha Mariam Gallery in Bahbahani home .

Please explain how:

The NCCAL currently is focusing largely on the local level of exchange of information and measures adopted , since it is easier to gage the effects and the cultural rewards of our efforts .

There is still a shortage in documenting diversity of cultural expression on the international level in an official way .

Provide spaces where ideas of civil societies can be heard and discussed while developing policies:

Yes

Please explain how:

The NCCAL provided locations and spaces where ideas of the civil society were heard and disussed while developing policies . A good example of that would be what the NCCAL provided for :

1- Loyac ( a non-profit organization working towards the overall development of the youth ) is currently stationed at AL Qibliya School which is one of the NCCAL sites .

2-Cinema Society is also currently stationed at AL Qibliya School which is one of the NCCAL sites .

3-AL Hur Art Gallery was given by the NCCAL in support of retired artists and those who established the fine arts movement in Kuwait .

4-There is also a future plan to include and support projects of new and privte museums such as : Tariq Rajab Museum .

Kuwait National Library ( which is one of NCCAL vital cultural bodies) provides an essential platform for the participation of members of civil societies to hold meetings , lectures , seminars,conferences and workshops involving societal issues , laws and decision making .

Implement Operational Guidelines

Other

Is Civil Society contributing to this report?

Yes

Civil Society

Has the civil society taken initiatives to:

Promote the principle and the objectives of the Convention locally and internationally:

Yes

Please explain how:

Yes , civil society institutions are generally active in promoting the principles and objectives of the Convention whether intentionally or not intentionally , because the principles and objectives of the Convention generally coincide with the principles and objectives of most civil society institutions in Kuwait .

Civil society institutions are active in signing cultural agreements with international civil society institutions in order to promote fair representation of diverse cultural expression , opportunities of cultural exchange as well as cultural cooperation in all fields of culture . Locally , civil society institutions in Kuwait provide opportunities for cultural expression in their events and recruitment .

Promote ratification of the Convention and its implementation by governements:

Please explain how:

Bring the concerns of citizens, associations and enterprises to public authorities, including vulnerable groups:

Yes

Please explain how:

Yes , bringing the concerns of citizens , associations and enterprises to public authorities including vulnerable groups continues to be one of the main reasons behind the establishment of most civil society institutions in Kuwait . Parliament often consults with civil society institutions in various committee meetings before voting on various laws and regulations .

Civil society members often attend parliamentary hearings and meetings on their own initiative and try to lobby for citizens concerns . Many if not all civil society institutions hold meetings , symposia , seminars and conferences in their establishments in order to bring public awareness to various citizens concerns ( before , during and after parliamentary hearings ).

Each civil society institution generally declares its position and point of view on various national issues .

Contribute to the achievement of greater transparency and accountability and accountability in the cultural governance:

Yes

Please explain how:

Yes , through holding symposia , seminars , meetings , lectures and publishings to raise national awareness in cultural governance .

Monitor policy and programme implementation on measures to protect and promote diversity of cultural expression:

Yes

Please explain how:

Yes , civil society institutions often monitor policies and programme implementation through constant evaluation of parliamentary ( hearings , meetings ...etc) and general national practices in order to promote citizens best intrests which coincide with goals of the Convention and includes freedom of diversity of cultural expression .

Build capacities in domains linked to the Convention and carrying out data collection:

Please explain how:

Create innovative partnerships with the public and private sectors and with civil society of other regions of the worlds:

Yes

Please explain how:

Yes , there is constant cooperation and exchanges between civil society instituions and public and private sectors in Kuwait and other regions of the world , through sponsorship of social and cultural events that are of concern to the citizens .

Challenges encountered or foreseen to implement the Convention:

The general challenges seem to be of a financial nature. Civil society institutions in Kuwait inspite of their admirable accomplishments would like to have more financial support.

Solutions found or envisaged:

They need all kinds of national support to all work of voluntary nature

Activities planned for next 4 years to implement the Convention:

There is a general goal of trying to establish a generation that excercises , promotes and appreciates cultural values and different expressions of them .

Achievements and Challenges

Describe main results achieved in implementing the Convention:

Achievements are and not limited to :

1-Increase in total number of cultural events and publications on the national level that serve development of local culture,international cultural exchanges ,and encouragement of diverse cultural expression .

2-Increase in total number of attendees to these above montioned events .

3-Increase in public awareness of the importance and necessity of such cultural promotions .

Challenges encountered or foreseen to implement the Convention :

Most of our attendees seem to favour events that involve music , drama and fine arts , but not necessarily events of pure academic nature .

Solutions found or envisaged to overcome those challenges:

To create events of multiple cultural nature that include or that presents academia in a musical , dramatic and fine arts nature .

Steps planned for the next 4 years:

1-Continue execution of positive cultural events both locally and internationally .

2-Continue to raise local and international awareness of the importance and necessity of diverse cultural expression .

3-Continue to involve young men , young women and children in the journey of raising awareness to diverse cultural expression .

Name of the designated official signing the report

Title:

Family Name:

Al Youha

Nombre:

Ali

Position:

Secretary General

Organization:

National Council for Culture , Arts and Letters .

No measure added