The National Folklore Board organized a day-long workshop on December 12, 2023, at the Hilton View Hotel, East Legon.
Stakeholders from the Ghana Heritage Committee, Regional Heritage Ambassadors, and various agencies gathered to review a comprehensive report compiled for submission to UNESCO.
The report is a crucial component of the Africa Regional Reporting for the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.
During the workshop, a speech on behalf of the Honourable Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture highlighted the significance of the event.
The Deputy Minister emphasized Ghana’s commitment to safeguarding its cultural heritage, having ratified the 2003 UNESCO Convention in 2016.
The periodic reporting exercise, a requirement for participating countries, is expected to generate data on systematically safeguarding living heritage in Africa.
The Deputy Minister urged active participation in the workshop, expressing confidence that the knowledge gained would contribute to the effective handling of Ghana’s intangible cultural heritage.
The Director of the National Folklore Board, Mrs. Bernice Deh-Kumah, welcomed participants and acknowledged UNESCO’s support.
She outlined measures in place to safeguard Ghana’s ICH, including awareness campaigns and capacity-building initiatives. Despite these efforts, challenges such as limited information availability, lack of public awareness, and insufficient institutional and legislative frameworks persist.
The workshop aimed to address these challenges and validate information gathered through a needs assessment, ensuring a comprehensive and accurate report for submission to UNESCO.
