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| African Cultural Charter | |
|---|---|
| Name | African Cultural Charter |
| Adopted | 1976 |
| Location | Addis Ababa |
| Organizations | Organisation of African Unity, African Union Commission |
| Languages | Arabic language, English language, French language, Portuguese language, Spanish language |
African Cultural Charter
The African Cultural Charter is a regional instrument adopted to promote cultural heritage and cultural rights across Africa and to coordinate policies among member states of the Organisation of African Unity and later the African Union. It emerged from meetings in Addis Ababa involving representatives from African governments, cultural institutions such as the Museum of Black Civilizations and National Archives of Mali, and international bodies including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Development Programme. The Charter influenced policy debates in bodies like the Economic Community of West African States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the Southern African Development Community.
The Charter was drafted following resolutions debated at the Second Conference of African Cultural Ministers and the Conference of African States on Cultural Policies, with input from delegates representing Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Tanzania. Negotiations drew on precedents such as the Universal Declaration of UNESCO on Cultural Diversity and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. Key drafters included officials from the Ministry of Culture (Egypt), the National Council for Arts and Culture (Nigeria), and advisors formerly attached to the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa. The formal adoption took place at a summit convened by the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa and was later referenced at sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Charter sets out to protect tangible sites like the Great Zimbabwe National Monument and the Timbuktu Manuscripts Collection and intangible expressions such as Mali's kora music tradition, Nigerian Nollywood productions, and Senegalese mbalax. It asserts principles aligned with instruments like the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, emphasizing cultural sovereignty alongside cooperation promoted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States. It calls for collaboration with institutions such as the British Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to safeguard archives and promote restitution dialogues exemplified by agreements with the Musée du quai Branly and the Louvre Museum.
Implementation mechanisms reference the secretariats of the Organisation of African Unity and later the African Union Commission, working with regional economic communities like the Economic Community of West African States, the East African Community, the Economic Community of Central African States, and entities such as the African Development Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Cultural institutions named in implementation plans include the African Union Cultural Institute, the National Museum of Kenya, the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, and the Pan African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESPACO). Monitoring links to the African Peer Review Mechanism and reporting to the Assembly of the African Union were envisaged alongside partnerships with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Commission, and the World Bank cultural programs.
Provisions address protection of heritage sites listed alongside examples such as Robben Island Museum and the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, promotion of film industries comparable to Nollywood and festivals like FESPACO, support for languages including Swahili language and Amharic language, and measures to combat illicit trafficking referenced in collaboration with the International Criminal Police Organization and the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. Commitments include capacity-building with institutions like the Getty Foundation and the Ford Foundation, training with the British Council, copyright discussions involving the World Intellectual Property Organization, and cultural exchange schemes modeled on programs by the French Cultural Centre and the Goethe-Institut.
The Charter influenced national laws in states such as Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria and informed debates at the UN World Heritage Committee and the International Council on Monuments and Sites. Supporters cite effects on protection efforts for the Timbuktu Manuscripts and capacity at the National Museums of Kenya, while critics argue enforcement gaps mirrored in disputes like the Benin Bronzes restitution debates and the contested repatriations involving the Musée du quai Branly. Commentators from institutions including the African Studies Association and the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria) note tensions between cultural sovereignty and obligations under trade agreements negotiated through the World Trade Organization and political pressures visible in cases involving the Economic Community of West African States and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.
Related instruments include the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the UNESCO 1970 Convention on illicit trafficking, the Charter of the Organisation of African Unity, and regional frameworks like the EAC Cultural Policy and the SADC Protocol on Culture, Information and Sport. The Charter interacts with global initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals, UN agencies including UNESCO and UNDP, philanthropic actors like the Ford Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and bilateral partnerships exemplified by agreements between France and Benin, United Kingdom and Nigeria, and Germany and Senegal.
Category:African culture Category:African Union law