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The Tracker Culture & Public Policy | Special issue n°1 : Cultural Policies Highlights

This section showcases a selection of the latest developments in cultural public policy from UNESCO Member States. Recovery measures in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cultural sector have shown that countries are moving towards more adaptive and longer-term strategies to build resilience in their cultural sectors, and to anchor more deliberately culture across the broad public policy spectrum.

 

The Ministry of Culture and Sport of Spain has set up an with the aim of promoting creation and support for creators, the increase of contemporary artistic heritage, supporting for platforms for the development of contemporary artistic practices, promoting of external action and the internationalisation of the sector, as well as training and research.

Creative New Zealand – Toi Aotearoa has launched a new to support research, development or creation of new artwork in the digital space for global audiences.

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has constituted a 22-member committee to lead Ghana’s quest to and artifacts.

The Ministry of Culture of Peru presented the , with technical assistance from UNESCO Peru and support from the Government of Sweden. Among the goals of the Plan are the generation of employment, the improvement of working conditions for arts workers, capacity building, the strengthening of local governments, the use of cultural spaces, as well as training for artistic promotion.

The Ministry of Culture of the British Virgin Islands is currently revising its with the aim of emphasizing current national priorities, which include a focus on developing the creative industries, cultural heritage, and cultural education, and to promote culture across other policy sectors such as trade, tourism, education, environment, youth, media and sports.

The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of Morocco is preparing a strategy to protect the country’s that is set to be ready by July of this year. This initiative is linked to the “Made in Morocco” project to register and protect its tangible and intangible national cultural heritage, which aims to promote Moroccan cultural heritage at the global level.

The South African Cultural Observatory has submitted its on the contribution of the cultural and creative sector to the economy in the post COVID-19 environment to the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.

Stakeholders of the creative sector of Zimbabwe have met for the validation of the drafted by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and sector partners, with the support of UNESCO and the EU.

The Cultural Heritage Administration of the Republic of Korea has begun work drafting a . The new law aims to bring the national classification of heritage in line with UNESCO internationally agreed principles and definitions.

 

The Arts Council of Ireland has announced the launch of a 2022 – 2025, in recognition of the important role of international practice and relations in the development of the arts in Ireland. The strategic framework sets out to deliver a more effective alignment of supports aimed at the integration of national and international activities delivered by Irish-based artists and organisations.

 

The Ministry of Culture of Iraq, UNESCO and the United Arab Emirates, have launched the reconstruction phase of 3 iconic sites in Mosul, following an initial 3-year preparatory phase. The work is part of UNESCO’s flagship “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative.

Thailand has launched an initiative to use of the country’s scenic nature and assets to boost income.

Looted cultural and to Libya from the United States of America. Two busts, dating back to the Greek era spanning from 639 BC until 322 BC, are thought to have been lost since the 1980s.

The National Centre for Arts and Culture of the Gambia has launched a two-year project to strengthen national capacities for the . The project, funded by UNESCO, aims to engage communities and experts to research, list, and photograph rituals, ceremonies, oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices that will be complied in a national inventory.

The Ministry of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica, through the National Library System, has launched a , in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and with the support of the Organisation of Ibero-American States (OEI), as well as the technical support of the Regional Centre for Book Promotion in Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLALC).

The Ministry of Culture of Italy has allocated a budget of 2 million euros to residing in the country to be able to continue their creative work. The Ministry will distribute the money to 20 Italian cultural foundations for artistic residencies for Ukrainian artists working in theatre, cinema, visual arts, opera, dance and museology.

In the United Arab Emirates, the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, affiliated with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, has launched a to boost digital Arabic content which aims to establish an integrated digital reference for native and non-Arabic speakers.

The Ministry of Culture and Creative Industries of Cabo Verde has launched the (programa Bolsa de Acesso à Cultura) to foster inclusion of over 3000 lower income pupils in “enjoyment of the arts”.

In Viet Nam, the province of Binh Thuan has launched a for tourists, businesses, and state management agencies that integrates information about particular destinations, as well as cultural and sport features.

The Government of Cyprus has passed legislation establishing a under the umbrella of the Education Ministry. The law is part of a series of actions aiming to create a coherent cultural policy focused on supporting artistic expression, opening up to civil society and enhancing interculturalism, as a result of the repercussions of the pandemic on the cultural and creative sector.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, together with the Ministry of Culture, have officially launched a to allow the certification of people who work in traditional trades, learned from inherited knowledge such as midwifery, traditional cooking and the translation of native languages. This certification allows people to become trainers of these traditional practices as well as have access to financing possibilities.

The Ministry of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage have . Resources are available for research on cultural heritage, as well as its promotion and dissemination.