•

• 2016 European Culture Forum

XIII Flash Session Culture and Development

Brussels 20 April 2016

Aida Liha Matejicek, PhD

Head of Unit
DG DEVCO
B4, Education, Health, Culture

International
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO
 Structure of the presentation
- - Culture and Development: Intro to the EU policy framework
and commitments
- - ACPCultures +
- - What role for culture in development?
- - Examples: UNESCO Expert Facility; Sri Lanka; Niger, Ivory
Coast
- - Culture and development: Future perspectives
- - Useful links
 Culture and development:
EU policy framework and commitments

•International commitments
(Agenda 2030; 2005 UNESCO Convention)

•EU level agreements (Cotonou Agreement; European

Consensus for Development (2006), Council Conclusions on
culture in the EU's external relations with a focus on culture in
development cooperation, 11/2015)

•European Commission documents (Communication EU

Strategy for International Cultural Relations)

International
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO
 The role of culture in development

• Culture as the tool to achieve inclusive, equitable and

sustainable society

• Culture as vector for economic growth and jobs

• Culture as a tool for building of social cohesion

• Culture particularly effective (sometimes the only available

tool) in development efforts in a broad spectrum of difficult
contexts

International
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO
Implemented by the Funded by the
Secretariat of the ACP European Union
Group of States
 ACPCultures +: Spécific objectives
Culture is an integral component of the ACP-EU Development
cooperation Strategy defined in the Cotonou Agreement (particularly
Article 27).

Following this agreement, 3 meetings of ACP Ministers of Culture

have defined the main political and strategic priorities for the sector:
- The Dakar Declaration and its Action Plan (2003)
- The Santo Domingo Resolution (2006)
- The Brussels Resolution (2012)

ACPCultures + is the 3rd intra-ACP support program for the sector.

 ACPCultures +: Specific objectives
- Highlight ACP diversity of cultural expressions;
- Support and strengthen access to local, regional,
intra-ACP and international markets for cultural
services and goods in ACP States;
- Reinforce ACP cultural operators’ skills;
- Promote intra-ACP and ACP-EU partnerships;
- Contribute to improve the regulatory environment in
ACP cultural sectors
 ACPCultures +: Key figures
Activities carried out in over 60 ACP countries and
involving more than 200 cultural operators working in
partnership
 ACPCultures +: Component of cultural policy
Besides financing and following-up projects, the
Programme aims to improve the regulatory framework
and cultural policies of the ACP Group of States.

Studies, tools, recommendations for cultural decision

makers in ACP countries:
 ACPCultures +: Component of cultural policy
Documentation Center on the Website

- The Library gives access to a search engine which allows to consult

more than 400 reference documents on cultural industries policies in
ACP countries and in the world.
 What role for culture in development?
Example: UNESCO/EU Expert Facility
Project: UNESCO/EU Expert Facility
(EUR 1,5 M - DCI)

Results:
•Set up of global TA facility to support
cultural governance; missions to 13
countries (on demand).

•Training & capacity building

methodologies.

•Development of national policies,

strategies and recommendations in 4
Photo from High-Level Seminar: The
countries inclusion of Culture in Development
e.g. National Strategy for Programmes, Brussels, 5 June 2015
the Creative Industries
in Vietnam International
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO
 What role for culture in development?
Example: Sri Lanka
Project Results:
• North-South exchange programmes
for cultural actors and universities
(785 participants).

• Small grants for cultural productions

and local initiatives (1400
participants).

• Facilitated cultural festivals to

establish networks for social
integration and reconciliation (6025
participants).
Photo: Bilingual multi-ethnic theatre group:
• Mobile theatre campaign promoting performance from a mobile theatre festival in Badulla,
Sri Lanka, 2015
bi-lingualism and multiculturalism International

(11000 participants).
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO
 What role for Culture in Development?
Example: Niger
The project enables:
•Identification and preservation of
earthen architecture in West Africa;
Awareness raising; public-private
partnership in culture.

Project Results:
•Trained 116 people trained (technical
and entrepreneurial capacities)
•Created 50 jobs
•Constructed 1 pavilion for earthen
architecture
•Established Network for promotion of
Photo: Restaurant «Le Pilier», Niamey,
eco-materials in Niamey Niger, 2015
•Series of conferences :The morning
of earthen architecture' International
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO
 What role for Culture in Development?
Example: 'Run', Ivory Coast
- 'Run', directed by Philippe Lacôte, 2014
- Participated actively in the national reconciliation debate.
 Culture and development:
future perspectives

•Global Public Goods and Challenges (GPGC): Intercultural

dialogue & local authorities – 2016 (EUR 30 million for the
period 2014-2020).

•Intra ACP (11th EDF): Cultural and creative industries

(EUR 40 million for the period 2014-2020).

International
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO
 GPGC Culture
Culture as enabler of intercultural dialogue

Areas of cooperation:

• Promotion of inter-cultural dialogue, cultural diversity and

respect for the equal dignity of all cultures, and
• Supporting culture as a promising economic sector for
development and growth.
 Intercultural dialogue and local authorities –
Specific objectives

- to contribute to the emergence of a social, political and

economic environment where all members of the community
can fully participate in and benefit from the development process;
- to contribute to more socio-economic equality, social
cohesion, increased opportunities for all and better
representation in the democratic and decision making process;
- to promote the inclusion of the intercultural dialogue
dimension in local authorities’ development strategies;
- to protect cultural heritage
-
 Useful Links
Capacity4dev
http://capacity4dev.ec.europa.eu/

Intra ACP
www.acpculturesplus.eu

Europeaid (grants and procurement)

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/about-funding_en

EDD 2016
community@eudevdays.eu

International
Cooperation and
Development
DEVCO