World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture celebrated
Prof. Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Togolese Abroad - Togo (photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Togo)
24 January 2024
UNESCO adopted 24 January as the World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture at the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2019. This date coincides with the adoption of the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance in 2006 by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union. Celebration of this day also aims to promote the widest possible ratification and implementation of this Charter by African States, thereby strengthening the role of culture in promoting peace on the continent.
In a celebration at UNESCO headquarters, the fifth World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture brought together diverse voices to highlight the significance of cultural diversity, human unity, and the pivotal role of Africa and its diasporas in shaping a shared global identity.
Prof. Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Togolese Abroad – Togo applauded UNESCO for its dedication to cultural diversity and the promotion of African history and traditions. Recognizing African cultures as shared assets of humanity, he emphasized the importance of cultural traditions occupying their rightful place in fostering global development.
UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, highlighted the alignment of the World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture with UNESCO's broader initiatives, including the International Decade for People of African Descent and the "Routes of Enslaved Peoples" Project. She stressed the celebration's focus on cultural diversity as a means of promoting inclusive and participatory universalism, fostering mutual understanding, and contributing to a more peaceful world.
President of African Network of Cultural Promoters and Entrepreneurs (RAPEC), Mr. John Ayité Dossavi, delved into the concept of 'Global Africa' and Africanity, emphasizing its positive values of peace, dialogue, and mutual acceptance. He urged the world to recognize the urgent need for additional humanism and fraternity, highlighting that embracing African perspectives could help humanity tackle contemporary challenges and foster global cohesion.
Charles Koffi Azilan, Acting Permanent Delegate of Togo to UNESCO and the OIF, explained Togo's commitment to restoring Africa and its culture to their rightful place. He shared Togo's initiative at the African Union, leading to the declaration of the decade 2021-2031 as the "Decade of African Roots and Diasporas." Azilan invited global participation in the 9th Pan-African Congress, co-organized by Togo and the African Union, aiming to revive Pan-Africanism and address the future of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora.
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