National workshop in Ghana on artistic freedom

Within the framework of the re-designed Aschberg programme for artists and cultural professionals, UNESCO will organize on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2018 (Accra, Ghana, 2-3 may 2018) for the first time a two-day training workshop on 3 and 4 May for civil society and government officials from Ghana on policies and measure to promote and monitor artistic freedom.

The training will be opened by Catherine Afeku, Minister of Tourism and, Arts and Culture of Ghana; Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, Secretary-General of the National Commission of Ghana for UNESCO and Danielle Cliche, Secretary of the 2005 Convention and Chief of the Section for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

The workshop, to be conducted by M. Ole Reitov, former Executive Director of Freemuse, and Ms Sara Whyatt, former Deputy-Director of PEN International, will bring together approximately a group of 20 persons, both governmental and non-governmental actors working in Ghana on issues related to artistic freedom.

This workshop will serve to   facilitate a better understanding of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and its goal to promote human rights and artistic freedom; exchange on existing laws, policies and measures which promote and protect artistic expression, and challenges that countries face; increase knowledge and understanding of the obligations that governments (in close cooperation with civil society) have in terms of reporting on policies and measures taken to promote artistic freedom.

The first day of the workshop will introduce participants to the concept of artistic freedom and help to engage a discussion on global challenges to artistic freedom, the international legal frameworks regulating artistic freedom, social and economic rights of artists and data collection mechanisms.

The second day will focus on how to report on artistic freedom worldwide and in Ghana. Through group works, the participants will qualify how Ghana may report on artistic freedom as part of the forthcoming quadrennial periodic report submission to UNESCO on the implementation of the 2005 convention.

Ghana is a Party to the 2005 Convention since 2016.