30 October 2025
Nine African countries are embarking on a new initiative to strengthen their capacities to safeguarding living heritage and prepare nominations to the Lists of the 2003 Convention, while also reinforcing synergies among culture conventions. These activities form part of the project “Building capacities for safeguarding living heritage and preparing nominations to the Lists of the 2003 Convention in Africa”, which is generously funded by Japan through the Japan Funds-in-Trust for UNESCO.
The project supports nine African countries that do not yet have any elements inscribed on the Lists of the 2003 Convention – Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Sao Tome and Principe, and South Sudan. By strengthening the capacities of national authorities, communities and the stakeholders involved in the preparation of nomination files, the project aims to foster cooperation among countries, and to safeguard and promote the rich diversity of intangible cultural heritage in the region.
The first national workshop under the project was recently held in Sao Tome and Principe last 22 September 2025. Organized by the UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa in Yaoundé, in collaboration with the National Commission for UNESCO of Sao Tome and Principe, the five-day training brought together 22 participants from across the country, including government officials, district cultural officers, and members of communities. Through practical case studies, participants deepened their understanding of the inscription criteria and the set of forms used in nomination files. The workshop emphasized the importance of ensuring the free, prior and informed consent of the concerned communities. Participants explored ways to strengthen implementation of the 2003 Convention through synergies with other UNESCO culture conventions — in particular the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions — drawing on specific examples. Special attention was given to the recent changes following the Global Reflection on the Listing Mechanisms of the 2003 Convention.
In the coming months, similar workshops will be organized in the target countries, and will be followed by support sessions with facilitators from the Global network of facilitators, to assist national institutions and communities in advancing their nominations files, or requests for international assistance, as appropriate. Also, to promote peer to peer learning and the exchange of good practices, regional online meetings will bring together the nine beneficiary countries, as well as countries experienced with the listing mechanisms of the Convention.
