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UNESCO and Kenya to implement the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators together

Wednesday, 22 November 2023

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On 22 November 2023, the Republic of Kenya and UNESCO signed the Letter of Agreement to establish a partnership for the implementation of the UNESCO Thematic Indicators Culture in the 2030 Agenda (UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators) in Kenya.

The UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators is a framework to measure and monitor culture’s contribution to the national and local implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The innovative UNESCO Indicators assess the role of culture as a productive sector, as well as a contributor to diverse Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The framework provides a thematic overview of the sector, creates visibility on the positive impact of culture in society at large, and serves as a source of valuable information to influence cultural policies.

Ms Jyoti Hosagrahar, the Deputy Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre responsible for the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators, set the context by recalling that the project aims to support UNESCO Member States attain the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through culture.

Mr. Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, congratulated Kenya for their commitment to the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators. Noting the general lack of reliable data in the field of culture, he emphasized how the statistics on the Kenyan culture sector, to be collected through the project, will help shape future policies and strategies at the local and national levels, as well as international.

“Demonstrating the positive impact of culture in our societies begins with data. Kenya’s commitment to valorizing culture can have a ripple effect not only within the immediate sector, but also on their overall sustainable development objectives,” he stated.

In turn, Ms Ummy Mohammed Bashir, the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Culture and Heritage of the Republic of Kenya, emphasized that culture is crucial for the achievement of economically effective and inclusive sustainable development of her country. She shared Kenya’s anticipation for the training on the UNESCO Culture 2030 Indicators methodology as well as expertise to be provided by the UNESCO Expert Facility.

“I reiterate Kenya's long-standing commitment to the development of cultural statistics and contribution to the recognition of culture's transversal role to the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals”, she said.

Kenya is the second beneficiary of the UNESCO project in the African region, following Burkina Faso and its capital city of Ouagadougou. The implementation of the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators is made possible by the generous financial support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

Watch the full event