The International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) of UNESCO has granted $83,496 to Pakistan’s Beaconhouse National University to undertake a project that aims to enhance data collection in the cultural and creative industries. This is the first time that Pakistan has been awarded funding from the IFCD since it ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in March 2022.
The project, named “Improving Data Collection among National and Provincial Statistical Agencies to Strengthen Policymaking for the Cultural and Creative Industries,” will be carried out by Beaconhouse National University with technical support from UNESCO’s Islamabad Field Office. The university has previously worked with UNESCO on several projects supporting the creative economy.
The IFCD, which was established to foster sustainable development and economic growth in developing countries that have ratified the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, has provided more than $10 million in funding for 140 projects in developing countries since 2010.
The project aims to collaborate with national and provincial statistical agencies to develop better data collection and analysis tools for Pakistan’s cultural and creative sectors. This will help to create more inclusive cultural policies that address the needs of the sector, including the voices of marginalized groups such as women artisans.
The project’s results are expected to strengthen evidence-based policymaking, benefiting various government bodies such as bureaus of statistics, cultural organizations, skill development and vocational training authorities, councils of the arts, small and medium enterprise development authorities, planning and development boards, and trade and investment boards.
