Cabo Verde and Gambia join UNESCO-Aschberg program for artists and cultural professionals

Congratulations to Cabo Verde and Gambia, newly selected as beneficiaries of the UNESCO-Aschberg about the status of the artist. UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, Mr Ernesto Ottone, announced the 12 projects selected from more than a hundred candidates on Friday 15 April, on the occasion of the celebration of World Art Day.

The UNESCO-Aschberg programme aims to support the promotion of the status of the artist by assisting government institutions and civil society organizations in the revision of legal, policy and regulatory frameworks. Thus, Cabo Verde and The Gambia will benefit from technical and financial assistance and will be able to strengthen their commitment to the protection of the artistic and cultural sector, particularly in terms of social rights for artists and creators.

At this stage, projects are being planned for an upcoming implementation that will run at least until 2023. In The Gambia, the objective will be to empower Gambian artists and professionals in the creative and cultural industries through training and regulation with a particular focus on gender issues. In Cabo Verde, which recently ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in August 2021, the priority will be on strengthening and supporting the creation of policies for the sector to improve the working conditions of artists and guarantee them access to social security, health insurance and fair and flexible tax and pension systems.

This is a very good news for both countries, which have spared no effort in recent months to strengthen the protection of their rich national cultural heritage. These forthcoming projects are a further step towards placing culture at the heart of development efforts and supporting creativity and artistic diversity in the countries of the sub-region.