Building capacities for safeguarding living heritage and preparing nominations to the Lists of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Sao Tome and Principe, South Sudan

Overview:

The project aims to safeguard and promote the rich diversity of intangible cultural heritage in Africa with a focus on nine countries that do not yet have any living heritage element inscribed on the Lists and Register of the 2003 Convention (at the end of the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee in December 2024) – these are Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, ›››

News and activities:

• 2025-10-30 – Nine African countries engage in capacity building to safeguard living heritage and prepare nominations to the 2003 Convention’s Lists
• 2025-03-17 – Building capacities for safeguarding living heritage and preparing nominations to the Lists of the 2003 Convention in Africa

Strengthening capacities for periodic reporting under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

Africa is the fourth region to be undertaking periodic reporting under the revised regional cycle approved by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention [Decision 14.COM 8]. The present project aims to strengthen the human and institutional capacities of States Parties in the region, in conducting a thorough review of the state of safeguarding policies, programmes, and initiatives in ›››

News and activities:

• 2024-04-22 – Milestone achieved as Africa participates in its first regional cycle of periodic reporting

Development of an inventory of intangible cultural heritage for Shiselweni region in Eswatini

Benefitting country(ies): Eswatini

Overview:

Implemented by the Eswatini National Trust Commission, the project aimed to raise awareness among stakeholders about the importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, build capacity among community members to conduct fieldwork, and produce an inventory of intangible cultural heritage elements in the Shiselweni region. Shiselweni, located in the southwest, is the country’s only region that has not established an inventory. ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-01-19 – Capacity-buliding workshop on community-based inventory of intangible cultural heritage in Nhlangano

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in the countries of Southern African sub-region

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia

Overview:

UNESCO ROSA made significant strides to strengthen national capacities for the effective safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage over the past years. This activity seeks to strengthen sub-regional cooperation and national capacities for the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention. It will pay due attention to the adequacy of institutional environments, abilities to set up or revise legislative and policy frameworks and ›››

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in seven Southern African countries for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Phase III)

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

The project is designed as the third and final stage in the efforts to strengthen sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in Southern African countries in their implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The main objective is to effectively support the continuity of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding processes in the seven countries, notably Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi ›››

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in the countries of Southern African sub-region

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia

Overview:

UNESCO ROSA made significant strides to strengthen national capacities for the effective safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage over the past years. This activity seeks to strengthen sub-regional cooperation and national capacities for the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention. It will pay due attention to the adequacy of institutional environments, abilities to set up or revise legislative and policy frameworks and ›››

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in seven Southern African countries for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Part II

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

The project aims at reinforcing the sub-regional cooperation platform, which was created to support seven countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in southern Africa in their efforts to safeguard the living heritage present in their territories. Consolidating the results of previous Flanders funded projects since 2009, this platform will be driven by the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Committees ›››

News and activities:

• 2016-09-19 – Training of Trainers on Strengthening National Capacities for Implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• 2016-07-25 – Workshop on inventorying, international assistance and nominations in Swaziland

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in seven Southern African countries for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

The beneficiaries of the project are the national authorities responsible for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and selected communities in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Firstly, the project aims to initiate a sub-regional cooperation platform to support these countries in their efforts to safeguard the living heritage present in their territories. Such objective will be done ›››

News and activities:

• 2015-02-23 – Southern Africa: Enhanced national capacities and sub-regional cooperation for safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage
• 2014-03-18 – Strengthening sub-regional Cooperation and National Capacities in Seven Southern African Countries for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

A series of pilot projects in community-based intangible heritage inventorying on a grassroots-level in six selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia

Overview:

The project was implemented by conducting a series of pilot ICH inventory-making activities, on a grassroots level, in six beneficiary Sub-Saharan African countries, namely Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Swaziland and Zambia. It was composed of four phases: #Phase I dealt with the selection of six pilot communities (one in each country) in a demand-driven manner; #Phase II was the initial ›››