Windhoek, Namibia - The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC), in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is pleased to announce the upcoming public discussion on Social Protection for Namibian Artists and Cultural Professionals. The discussion will be hosted at the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) on 29 August 2023, from 09:00 to 14:00, with the support of the UNESCO-Aschberg programme for artists and cultural professionals.
Social protection for artists and cultural professionals aligns with the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which Namibia is a signatory to, and the UNESCO 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist. The 2005 Convention
emphasizes artistic expression and economic rights and, in consideration of this, further reaffirms the sovereign rights of states to maintain, adopt and implement policies to protect and promote cultural expressions on their territory. The 1980 Recommendation also recognizes that "the vigour and vitality of the arts depend, inter alia, on the well-being of artists both individually and collectively".
Therefore, and in accordance with the 2005 Convention and the 1980 Recommendation, the Ministry's pursuit to enhance artists and cultural professionals well-being through social dialogue is significant in that it seeks to develop and strengthen social protection systems, which are adequate, sustainable and adapted to practices and trends in like-minded sectors across the world.
The event will adopt a hybrid format and accommodate both physical and online participation to ensure inclusivity and diverse engagement.
The key objectives of the public discussion will seek to:
1. Provide an overview of the status of artists in Namibia in the context of the 2005 Convention.
2. Establish the need for social protection for artists and cultural professionals in Namibia.
3. Determine the way forward for the provision of Social Protection in the Creative and Cultural Sector in Namibia.
The anticipated outcome of the public discussion is to propose actionable policy recommendations and strategies, which stakeholders could adopt to enhance social protection for artists and cultural professionals in Namibia. The event aims to elevate awareness, promote knowledge sharing, and catalyse collective efforts to integrate social protection mechanisms into the Cultural and Creative Sector in Namibia.
