Draft CONCEPT NOTE

AFRICAN UNION
UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone : 011-551 7700 Fax : 011-551 7844
website : www. africa-union.org
FOURTH SESSION OFTHE AFRICAN UNION CONFERENCE OF
MINISTERS OF CULTURE (CAMC4)
29TH OCTOBER TO 2ND NOVEMBER 2012
THEME: CULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND
POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION IN AFRICA”
Draft CONCEPT NOTE
1

A. Introduction
In line with Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.616 (XVIII), the Department of
Social Affairs is planning to organize in collaboration with the Government of the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the 4th Session of the African Union Conference
of Ministers of Culture (CAMC4), to be held in Kinshasa, DRC from 29th October to 1st
November 2012 under the theme “Culture as a Catalyst for Socio-Economic and
Political Transformation in Africa”.
Development was initially conceived in the narrow economic sense of a mere
increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or per capita income. Nowadays,
however, emphasis is being placed not only on GDP alone but also on other socioeconomic
indicators. Increasingly cultural and creative industries such as the crafts,
books and publishing, visual arts, design, music, dance, theatre and audio visuals are
becoming significant contributors to GDP and as such culture and the arts are
considered as the engine for socio-economic transformation in Africa. If development is
a phenomenon of qualitative transformation of a society or group of individuals with a
common life experience, then cultural development is the qualitative societal
transformation that builds on the identity and cultural resources of the community
concerned. Time has come for us to treat culture as an inseparable bound with industrial
development and development should be first and foremost cultural.
Political transformation in the cultural development sector should be enhanced to
ensure that the adopted cultural polices and their legal institutional frameworks are fully
implemented so as that the produce the most needed renew from cultural and creative
industries.
It is against this background that the 2 nd Meeting of the Bureau of the 3 rd Session
of the AU conference of Ministers of Culture endorsed the theme of “Culture as a
Catalyst for Socio-Economic and Political Transformation” to enhance its debate
and to formulate specific actions for the promotion of culture as a tool for socio-economic
transformation in Africa.
B. Main objectives of the 4 th African Union Conference of Ministers of Culture
The main objectives of the Fourth Session of the African Union Conference of
Ministers of Culture are to:
- Review the implementation of the continental Campaign for African Cultural
Renaissance 2010-2014 aimed at accelerating the ratification of the Charter for
African Cultural Renaissance;
2

- Discuss the theme of the Conference with a view to promote culture as a catalyst for
socio – economic and political transformation in the continent;
- Raise awareness on the use of social protection of the workers in the art and culture
industry with regards to the Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative industries and the
Social Protection Plan for the Informal Economy and Rural Workers;
- Consolidate and adopt the political and technical recommendations from the 3rd Pan-
African Cultural Congress (PACC3);
- Consider and adopt the Framework for Action on combating Harmful Traditional
Practices (HPT);
- Consider and adopt key recommendations with a view to promote African culture and
enhance its role in attaining sustainable socio-economic development in Africa;
- Review the Feasibility Study for the establishment of the Pan African Cultural Institute
(PACI);
- Present the reports of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) and of the
Centre Linguistic and Historical Studies by Oral Tradition (CELHTO) and of other Pan-
African Cultural institutions.
C. AGENDA
The Conference will consider the following main agenda items:
1. Report of the Chairperson on cultural activities for the period October 2010 to
October 2012;
2. Matrix of implementation of decisions;
3. Report of the3 rd Pan African Cultural Congress and its call/Framework for Action;
4. Review of the preparations of the Pan-African Cultural Space within the new AUC
Conference and Office Complex;
5. Review of the implementation programme of the Campaign for the African Cultural
Renaissance 2010-2014;
6. Review the report of the Feasibility Study for the Establishment of the Pan-African
Cultural Institute;
7. Discussion of the theme of the Conference;
8. Presentation on the use of social protection of the workers in the art and culture
industry with regards to the Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative industries and
the Social Protection Plan for the Informal Economy and Rural Workers;
9. Report of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN)
10. Report of the Centrefor Linguistic and Historical Studies by Oral Tradition(CELHTO)
11. Items proposed by Members States
D. FORMAT OF THE CONFERENCE
The Fourth Ordinary Session of the AU Conference of Ministers of Culture will be
3

conducted as follows:
a) Meeting of Inter-governmental Experts, (29 and 30 October 2012)
Experts from Member States will meet over two (2) days to deliberate on the abovementioned
agenda items and prepare a report for the Ministerial Meeting.
b) Meeting of Ministers, (1 st and 2 nd November 2012)
The Ministers will discuss and share ideas on the theme of the conference and
consider the report of the Experts’ meeting.
E. EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE CONFERENCE
It is expected that the recommendations of the experts meeting will inform the
discussions of the meeting of Ministers and will lead to a concrete roadmap for effective
collaboration by the various actors and stakeholders in the field of culture.
It is also expected that the Conference will contribute to achieve the following main
outcomes:
• Extensive discussion on the main theme of the Conference and adoption of a
roadmap for the promotion of culture as a catalyst for socio-economic and political
transformation in Africa;
• Adoption of the recommendations of the 3 rd Pan African Cultural Congress (PACC
3);
• Adoption of a recommendation related to the review of the threshold set for the
entering into force of the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance;
• Renewal of the Member States commitment to accelerate the ratification of the
Charter for the African Cultural Renaissance;
• Strengthening of the ties and partnerships between the Member States, cultural
development partners, RECs, International Organizations, Diaspora, and the AUC
for the Culture development and the promotion of the role of Culture vis-à-vis the
integration and the sustainable development of the continent.
• Commitment by Member States to provide artifacts and artworks for the AUC Pan-
African Cultural Space;
• Adoption of concrete recommendations to strengthen CELHTO and ACALAN as the
African Union flagships programmes for Oral Traditions and African Languages in
the continent as well as other Pan-African Cultural Institutions in the continent.
F. DOCUMENTS
In addition to the relevant documents which will be available on the AU website,
reports and other documents will be circulated during the Conference, in accordance
with the conference agenda items.
4

G. ORGANISATIONAL MATTERS
The AU Commission will organize the Conference while the Government of
The Democratic Republic of Congo will host the event.
H. PARTICIPANTS
Participants to the Conference will include: Ministers of Culture of the African
Union Member States, Culture Experts, International and Continental Cultural
Associations, Civil Society Organizations, International Organizations and Agencies,
Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and AU Commission representatives.
I. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Information on the Conference will be posted on the AU website:
www.africa-union.org
For additional information, kindly, contact the following officials:
• African Union Commission
Amb. Olawale Maiyegun, PhD
Director of Social Affairs
Department of Social Affairs
African Union Commission
Email: MaiyegunO@africa-union.org
cc:-
Ms. Angela Martins
Senior Cultural Officer
Department of Social Affairs
African Union Commission
Tel: + 251 115182279/ +251115182225
E-mail: MartinsA@africa-union.org and NtayeA@africa-union.org
• Ministry of Culture of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Mr. Bosongo Barthelemy
Director of the Minister’s Cabinet
Ministry of Youth, Sport, Culture and Art
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Tel: + 243 998 916 319
Mobile: + 243 812011913
E-mail: bosongo_barthelemy@yahoo.fr; cc Etienne.unega@yahoo.fr
5