Tag Archives: Unesco

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Africa Code Week (ACW) 2018 exceeded all expectations by empowering 2.3 million youth across 37 countries with digital and coding skills – compared to 1.3 million youth engaged across 35 African countries in the previous edition. More than 46% of this year’s 2.3 million participants …

THIS WEEK: Reggae made it to the global cultural heritage list Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | UNESCO, a cultural agency of the United Nations, added reggae music to a list of international cultural treasures. The declaration, according to a news agency Reuters came during a meeting in Paris where they …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda has been elected to serve on the World Heritage Committee for the first time. The World Heritage Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention that defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests …

Paris, France | AFP | UNESCO’s new chief on Monday brushed aside the United States’ decision to walk out of the UN cultural body, saying the organisation had survived long periods without Washington before. Former French culture minister Audrey Azoulay, elected on Friday to head UNESCO, said the US was “not …

Paris, France | AFP | The United States and its ally Israel said Thursday they were pulling out of the UN’s culture and education body, in a move that underlined Washington’s drift away from international institutions. The US decision, announced in Washington, follows years of tension at the organisation which it …

Paris, France | AFP | The board of the UN’s cultural body on Wednesday began vetting eight candidates vying to head an organisation accused of bias in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and foot-dragging on reforms. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization infuriated Israel and its staunch ally the United States by …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Visitors will not be allowed to set foot on a men-only UNESCO World Heritage island in Japan from next year, an official said Saturday. The tiny landmass of Okinoshima, where women are banned and male visitors must bathe naked in the sea before visiting its …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Tanzania’s President John Magufuli plans to speed up the building of a hydroelectric dam in one of Africa’s largest game reserves, despite criticism from environmentalists and UNESCO. The long-planned dam in the Selous Game Reserve, already listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in danger, …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Cuba’s sensual rumba dance and Belgium’s thriving beer culture brought a new exuberance to UNESCO’s prestigious list of “intangible” heritage on Wednesday. The UN body gave the nod to the rumba, which it said evokes “grace, sensuality and joy”, while it said “making and …

Paris, France | AFP |  Ugandan traditional music, which is dying out partly because it requires materials from endangered species, has been placed on UNESCO’s protected “Intangible Cultural Heritage” list, along with Portuguese pottery and Ukrainian Cossack songs. A UNESCO world heritage committee, meeting in Addis Ababa Tuesday, decided to …