UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa

Ministry of Arts and Culture Republic of

CONCEPT NOTE

REGIONAL MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE ON STRENGTHENING SYNERGIES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION IN EASTERN AFRICA AND THE ADJACENT INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS 18‐19 July 2017 – Culture Conference 20 July 2017 – Ministerial Roundtable Port Louis, Mauritius

I. Background

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union (AU) Vision 2063: The Africa We Want provide a roadmap for safeguarding and sustainably developing cultural heritage through the majority of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and through ‘Aspiration 5: An Africa with a Strong Cultural Identity, Common Heritage, Values and Ethics’. More recently, on 24 March 2017, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2347 on the Protection of Cultural Heritage, which recognizes the indispensable role of international cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice responses to counter trafficking in cultural property. It also encourages Member States to enhance bilateral, sub regional and regional cooperation through joint initiatives within the scope of relevant UNESCO programmes. Lastly, on 30‐31 March in Florence, Italy, the first ever G7 Culture Ministers’ meeting adopted the “Florence Declaration” recognizing the distinctive role of culture as an instrument for dialogue, reconciliation and response to emergency situations; and calling for common and coordinated action to strengthen the safeguarding of cultural heritage.

In light of these developments, UNESCO and the Ministry of Arts and are organizing a Roundtable of Ministers responsible for Culture in the Eastern Africa region in order to provide a platform for discussion among national and international actors to strengthen synergies for the protection of cultural heritage. This regional conference will also provide an opportunity for Ministers to share experiences, innovative practices and policies in East Africa. Moreover, it will increase capacities and strengthen joint actions for the protection of cultural heritage. Lastly, it will propose a new framework in the form of a Statement, which will provide a roadmap and priorities for safeguarding cultural heritage over the next four years.

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II. Justification

Through the implementation of its mutually reinforcing culture programmes, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the AU Commission work with the international community to protect culture in the Africa region. The urgent need to safeguard and sustainably develop cultural heritage in Eastern Africa and the adjacent Indian Ocean Islands is further demonstrated by the absence or minimal presence of culture in national plans for development, by the lack of legislation and policies to protect and promote cultural heritage and peace‐building, by the increasing threats to cultural heritage from conflict and terrorism and by the increase in refugees and migrants.

UNESCO’s 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols, the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)’s 1995 Convention on stolen or illegally exported cultural objects together with the AU Charter for African Cultural Renaissance and the African Union Model Law on the Protection of Cultural Property and Heritage provide a solid foundation on which to build a future where cultural heritage in Eastern Africa is safeguarded and sustainably developed.

There is an urgent need to raise awareness of these important international legal instruments among the relevant stakeholders in Eastern Africa. Out of 13 countries in the East Africa Region, seven have ratified the UNESCO 1954 Convention (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, and Tanzania); however, only two countries have ratified the First Protocol and none have ratified the Second. Five East African countries (Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles and Tanzania) have ratified the UNESCO 1970 Convention; none have ratified the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention; and only five (, Ethiopia, Madagascar, South and Tanzania) have signed the 2006 AU Charter for African Cultural Renaissance.

III. Specific objectives

1. To analyze the current level of cultural heritage protection in Eastern Africa and identify the challenges and opportunities for increased protection; 2. To increase awareness of the benefits of ratification of normative instruments in the field of culture; 3. To increase collaboration among East African Member States in the field of Culture; 4. To elaborate a framework for cooperation in the region;

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IV. Activities

1. Regional survey carried out in order to establish the existing level of cultural heritage protection on a national and regional level in Eastern Africa; 2. Analysis of the results of the survey; 3. Conference with national focal points responsible for cultural heritage protection in Eastern Africa in order to review the findings of the survey, learn more about national circumstances and challenges and to elaborate recommendations to strengthen synergies for national and regional cultural heritage protection, which will be presented to the Ministerial Roundtable for discussion and validation; 4. Ministerial Roundtable Discussion in order to review the findings of the survey and Conference and agree upon a roadmap to strengthen synergies for national and regional cultural heritage protection in Eastern Africa; 5. Press Conference to raise awareness of the Statement by Ministers on their commitment to strengthen synergies for cultural heritage protection in Eastern Africa.

V. Expected results

1. The current level of cultural heritage protection in Eastern Africa as well as the challenges faced and opportunities for strengthened protection guide the elaboration of national policy frameworks; 2. Experiences and innovative practices and policies for the protection of cultural heritage shared among Eastern Africa Ministers responsible for culture; 3. Strengthen existing national agendas for cultural heritage protection through UNESCO Conventions, programmes and resources; 4. Commitment of Ministers from Eastern Africa to strengthen synergies for the national and regional safeguarding of cultural heritage;

VI. Targeted participants

‐ Ministers responsible for Culture in the Eastern Africa region ‐ Directors of Culture, Museum Directors, archaeological site managers ‐ Secretary Generals of UNESCO National Commissions ‐ African Union Commission and representatives from Regional Economic Communities ‐ Other relevant partners and stakeholders from the Eastern Africa region

VII. Meeting Language

French/English interpretation and translation of all documents.

VIII. For more information

Ms. Karalyn Monteil, Programme Specialist for Culture, UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, [email protected], tel: +254 (0)20 762 2621

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