Dominica National Commission for UNESCO

The Dominica National Commission for UNESCO serves as the principal liaison between the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Operating under the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Planning, the Commission is instrumental in aligning national policies with UNESCO’s global mandates in education, science, culture, and communication.

Mandate and Responsibilities

The Commission’s core responsibilities include:

• Facilitating the implementation of UNESCO programs and initiatives within Dominica.
• Advising the government on matters related to UNESCO’s fields of competence.
• Coordinating national efforts to preserve and promote cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.
• Engaging with civil society, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to foster collaboration in UNESCO-related activities.

Key Initiatives

One of the Commission’s notable projects is the capacity-building initiative for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH). This project aims to enhance national capacities for protecting living heritage, including oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, and traditional crafts. The initiative involves:

• Conducting needs assessments to tailor activities to the local context.
• Training resource persons to effectively implement the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• Developing frameworks for community-based inventorying of ICH.
• Creating roadmaps for safeguarding ICH with policy recommendations from stakeholder consultations.

This project is implemented in collaboration with the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean in Kingston, ensuring a regional approach to heritage preservation.