UNESCO celebrates African and Afro-descendant culture as a common heritage

The World Day highlights the cultural diversity of Africa and its diasporas, as well as their role in building identities, dialogue and social cohesion.

January 24 marks World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture, a commemoration proclaimed by UNESCO in 2019 during the 40th session of its General Conference. The 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, which reinforces the link between culture, identity and sustainable development.

The celebration seeks to pay tribute to the many cultures of the African continent and of the African diasporas around the world, recognizing their value as a source of the common heritage of humanity and as a driver of dialogue, mutual respect and peace.

The commemoration is also framed within the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), which highlights national and international cooperation to guarantee the full enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights by people of African descent and their equal participation in all aspects of society.

UNESCO emphasizes that the recognition of this day is linked to the human right to participate freely in the cultural life of the community, as set out in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition to access to cultural expressions, this includes the recognition of the identities, histories and contributions of African and Afro-descendant peoples in building diverse societies.

World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture places African and Afro-descendant culture at the center as a living heritage, one that brings visibility to traditions and ways of life, as well as to the struggle against the discrimination and racism these populations still face in various parts of the world.

In the words of former UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, January 24 celebrates not one culture but a set of diverse cultures, and pays tribute to artists from every country and every discipline who promote the African cultural renaissance.

Africa is the most culturally diverse continent on the planet

Made up of 54 states, it is home to between 1,500 and 3,000 languages, representing about one third of the languages spoken in the world. This linguistic and cultural diversity is the result of profoundly different historical, social and territorial processes, which gave rise to multiple forms of community organization, ancestral knowledge, artistic expressions and living traditions.

UNESCO highlights the value of these expressions as part of the common heritage of humanity. From this perspective, culture is understood as a human right and a tool for mutual respect, in line with the principles of the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance adopted by the African Union.

The Charter for African Cultural Renaissance was adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union on January 24, 2006, in Khartoum, Sudan, as a political and cultural instrument to reaffirm the importance of the cultural expressions of Africa and its diaspora. This document replaces the earlier 1976 Cultural Charter for Africa and places culture as a central pillar for promoting the dignity, unity and development of African peoples.

The African diaspora constitutes a significant demographic and cultural presence outside the continent. It is estimated that more than 200 million people of African descent live outside Africa, in different regions of the world, and these communities represent a significant part of the population in countries in the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean.

Millions of Africans were forcibly transported between the 16th and 19th centuries to be enslaved, which profoundly altered the culture, identity and forms of social expression in many countries. This historical movement left a lasting mark that is expressed and strengthened today through music, cuisine, religion, and various artistic and social manifestations.

UNESCO recognizes that these Afro-descendant communities enrich the daily life of their countries and maintain living ties with their African roots, promoting artistic expressions, traditions and values that are incorporated into the global creative industries.

In addition, Afro-descendant figures and cultural movements have been at the forefront of struggles for civil rights and equality, helping to bring visibility to the African heritage and its formative role in the societies where these communities live.

African culture does not stay in Africa; it transcends the continent’s borders and reaches the entire world through the diaspora. In this sense, World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture is not a symbolic date but a form of recognition. International organizations maintain that recognizing and bringing visibility to the traditions, languages and artistic expressions of the diaspora strengthens mutual respect among peoples, linked to the mandate to protect and promote the cultural rights of all people.

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia