Within the framework of cooperation between the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the UNESCO Office in Rabat in the field of culture, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 in Tunis a new project to support the integration of culture into sustainable development policies, which will extend for the next four years with funding of $1.5 million from the Dr. Sadiq Besrour Foundation.
This was in the presence of representatives of the UNESCO Office in Rabat and the Ministry.
The project aims to strengthen the capacities of institutions, professionals and local communities in protecting and valuing cultural heritage, and to support the building of a sustainable cultural and creative economy at the national level.
The programme is part of a long-term cooperation agreement signed in November 2024 between UNESCO and the Bessour Foundation, which is being implemented through the UNESCO Regional Maghreb Office in Rabat, in coordination with relevant Tunisian structures and civil society organizations.
The project is divided into five main axes, including the protection of endangered traditional crafts, support for World Heritage sites, especially the Djerba site, training in heritage professions, promoting the creative economy and the Creative Cities Network, in addition to launching a digital portal dedicated to awareness of the partnership.
This project is based on a first experiment launched in 2024 to protect the heritage of Djerba after its inscription on the World Heritage List, with the allocation of $200,000 to support that site during the previous two phases.