Jamaica is among six countries globally that received funding through UNESCO’s IFCD programme based on the Fund’s sixth call for projects issued last year. The first installments of an estimated USD 542,000.00 were disbursed - in March 2016 to facilitate the projects which will be undertaken during a one year cycle.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange noted that this marks the first time that Jamaica is to receive funding through the IFCD, “This is another success story for Jamaica. Once again we are proving that our cultural capital is widely respected enough so to attract funding to help strengthen policy that will allow for improved delivery of cultural products and services to the people of Jamaica and the world.” 

The revision of the National Culture Policy forms part of the Ministry’s commitment to improving Policy directives, concerning the strategic positioning of culture, as well as the cultural and creative industries, as critical social and economic pillars in national development. The UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean recently donated USD 20,000.00 towards the revision process, with the IFCD funding anticipated to assist in completing the process in 2016.

The International Fund for Cultural Diversity is a multi-donor fund established under the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Its purpose is to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries that are parties to the Convention. Since 2010, the IFCD has allocated USD 5.3 million in funding for 78 projects in 48 developing countries, covering a range of areas, to include the development and implementation of cultural policies, capacity building of cultural entrepreneurs, mapping of cultural industries and the creation of new cultural industry business models. 

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