26 April 2023
As a first for the region, country focal points for periodic reporting from 44 countries across Africa are convening in Algiers, Algeria, from 25-29 April 2023, for a training on periodic reporting under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The 5-day workshop, hosted by the Regional Centre for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Africa (CRESPIAF), a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO, was opened by Her Excellency Ms Soraya Mouloudji, Minister of Culture and the Arts in Algeria, during a ceremony on 25 April 2023.
Over the following days, the country focal points will receive training to set up and undertake the periodic reporting exercise in their country on the implementation of the 2003 Convention in line with the reformed reporting mechanism. This will include training on participatory methodologies for data collection, stakeholder participation in the reporting process and the use of the online form.
The periodic reporting exercise will generate, for the first time, data on safeguarding living heritage in Africa in a systematic manner. The results will feed into the Global Report on Cultural Policies, a commitment adopted by the Ministers of Culture during the 2022 UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT).
The focal points will be supported throughout the capacity-building process by the African chapter of the UNESCO facilitators network and the UNESCO field offices from the region, who will be critical in cofacilitating subregional follow up trainings. Thanks to the generous support of the Government of Brazil, Portuguese interpretation and translation of training materials is being made available throughout the entire 8-months capacity-building process.
