Windhoek: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), in collaboration with the City of Windhoek and the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, is hosting a workshop to implement the Culture|2030 Thematic Indicators framework. This initiative aims to measure and monitor culture’s contribution to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the Culture|2030 Thematic Indicators framework is part of a European Union-supported programme titled ‘Advancing evidence-based policies and actions and supporting policy making to enhance the contribution of creative sectors and industries to sustainable development.’ The initiative seeks to provide a structure for assessing how cultural sectors contribute to national and local sustainable development goals.
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti, highlighted that this initiative will assist Namibia in understanding cultural and economic dimensions and improving data availability. He noted that the absence of reliable data has hindered the formulation of informed policies to enhance sector performance.
EU Ambassador to Namibia, Ana Martins, stated that the project will bolster data collection and encourage community engagement in Namibia. She mentioned that inclusive workshops will enhance data collection capabilities, and a technical report with recommendations will guide policy decisions in alignment with the 2030 Agenda.
City of Windhoek Project Leader, Grace Pujatura, emphasized that the project’s main objectives align with both the Municipal Council of Windhoek and national frameworks, which aim to nurture a dynamic creative and cultural community. The workshop, which spans two days, is currently underway in Windhoek.