€5m for new cultural initiative in Namibia
The EU Ambassador to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins, announced that the European Union would invest €5 million in a new cultural initiative. The goal is to improve the cultural framework for the creative economy, implement the Culture 2030 Indicators, and produce a global report on cultural frameworks.This report will be presented at the Mondiacult conference in September.
The announcement was made at the kickoff workshop for the implementation of the UNESCO Culture 2030 Indicators, which opened at the Franco-Namibia Cultural Centre in Windhoek on Tuesday. The workshop is organised by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture in partnership with UNESCO and the City of Windhoek, and introduces participants to the use of the indicators.
The indicators serve as a tool to measure and monitor the contribution of culture to sustainable development at local and international levels.
The two-day event brought together experts, policymakers, and partners to further integrate culture into the development agenda.
Martins explained that the project focuses entirely on improving policy frameworks by using UNESCO’s Culture 2030 methodology to make culture’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) measurable. “This is a crucial step to recognise culture not only as a sector in its own right but also as a driver of sustainable development,” she said.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti, said that it is important to highlight the undeniable importance of arts, culture, and cultural heritage for Namibia’s sustainable development goals while also appreciating the significance of this moment. “This initiative comes at a critical time, as the cultural and creative economy has been identified as one of the government’s key priority areas.”