Kinshasa, September 15th, 2026 (CPA).- Sustainable funding for culture in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was the focus of discussions between the Cultural Promotion Fund (FPC) and UNESCO at the organization’s headquarters in Paris, France, according to a press release from the FPC received by the CPA on Tuesday.
“Making the funding of culture a sustainable driver of development: this was one of the key issues at the heart of the discussions between Ms Barbara Kanam, Director-General of the Cultural Promotion Fund, Mr Nayef Al-Fayez, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, and Mr Toussaint Tiendrebeogo, Secretary of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions”, it was reported.
The meeting was described as offering new prospects for strengthening cooperation between DRC and UNESCO and for ensuring that the issue of funding remains at the heart of cultural policies in the long term. On this occasion, Barbara Kanam presented the Congolese cultural sector’s funding model to UNESCO and proposed that an International Forum on the Sustainable Funding of Culture be organised in Kinshasa, along with several avenues for cooperation.
UNESCO commends the Congolese approach
According to the press release, Nayef Al-Fayez commended the uniqueness of the Congolese model notably the existence of a fund dedicated to culture, headed by an arts professional with first-hand knowledge of the realities and challenges facing the sector. This meeting took place in the presence of Professor Emile Ngoy Kasongo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to France and to the Principality of Monaco.
Prospects for cooperation and investment
On an official visit to France since late August, the Director-General of the FPC has met with several international partners to present the opportunities offered by the Congolese cultural sector.
According to the same source, Barbara Kanam also held discussions with French business leaders on opportunities for cooperation, partnership and investment to support the development of cultural industries in DRC. This approach combines funding, sector restructuring and international outreach, with the aim of creating a favourable environment for artists, entrepreneurs and cultural operators, in order to consolidate their activities and ensure their projects are part of a sustainable economic future.
A vision focused on cultural development
According to the press release, this vision is in line with the commitment of the President of the Republic, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, to strengthen the cultural sector’s contribution to national development and to enhance the DRC’s profile on the international stage. CPA