Enhancing Fundamental Freedoms through the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

Capacity-building activities for policy monitoring serve to support evidence-based policy, also strengthening informed, transparent and participatory systems of governance. With such an improved knowledge, governmental and civil society actors can work together and better highlight policies and strategies that promote the diversity of cultural expressions.

The project aims to strengthen the human and institutional capacities of governmental and civil society actors in monitoring and reshaping their cultural policies, and to share innovative policy practices through the publication of biennial Global Reports. Its overall goal is to lay the groundwork for participatory and informed policymaking processes that support the development of systems of good governance for culture based on fundamental freedoms. 

The project “Enhancing fundamental freedoms through the promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions” is part of the Programme Cooperation Agreement signed for 2014-2017 with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Results

Through consultation meetings, training workshops and public debates, the project brought together different civil society and government representatives to discuss the needs and challenges facing professionals working in the cultural sector, thus introducing new mechanisms and platforms for policy dialogue.

The discussions, which resulted in the elaboration and submission of quadrennial periodic reports, served to assess ongoing policies for culture, making recommendations for the future and broadening the scope of cultural policy discussions to include new new critical issues, such as those of artistic freedom, gender equality and media diversity.

Building the human and institutional capacities of civil society and government actors to support informed policy-making also led to positive structural change. New legislative and policy initiatives have been taken as a result in the 12 partner countries.

Multi-stakeholder consultation

Kick-start open dialogue between government, media and civil society actors.

Identify needs and challenges of concerned stakeholders.

Training workshop on policy monitoring and data collection

Set up a gender-balanced national team with governmental and civil society actors to elaborate the periodic report.

Impart participatory policy monitoring and drafting methodology training.

Drafting and public presentation of Quadrennial Periodic Report (QPR)

Elaborate a QPR including data and information on policies and measures taken to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expression at both the national and the international level and identify challenges and opportunities for the future.

Present and debate the contents of the QPR with a large range of concerned stakeholders to generate ownership and inform future policymaking.