Nine African countries have yet to see a single element inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage lists. Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, São Tomé and Príncipe and South Sudan are therefore receiving support through a programme financed by Japan via its funds-in-trust with the organisation. The project runs from 1 September 2024 to 1 September 2027.
Its purpose is to train the people who assemble nomination files: national authorities, communities and other stakeholders. Beyond the listings themselves, UNESCO sees it as a way to bring these countries closer together and to better protect the diversity of their living traditions.
São Tomé and Príncipe went first on 22 September 2025, hosting a five-day national workshop led by UNESCO’s regional office in Yaoundé. Twenty-two participants from across the archipelago attended, among them government officials, district cultural officers and community members. Working through practical case studies, they got to grips with the inscription criteria and the forms required. Particular weight was given to the free, prior and informed consent of the communities concerned, without which no file can succeed.
Similar workshops are planned in the other target countries. Facilitators from UNESCO’s global network will then assist institutions and communities as they draft their nominations or requests for international assistance. Regional online meetings will also bring the nine beneficiaries together with more seasoned states to share good practice.
The first results are already taking shape. According to a project working document, Comoros and Lesotho have submitted nominations for the 2027 cycle.