Cooperation with Botswana National Commission for UNESCO

Since 2023, the Estonian National Commission for UNESCO and the Botswana National Commission for UNESCO have been building a purposeful partnership within UNESCO’s mandate and networks.

In 2025, cooperation in cultural and creative industries gathered momentum. In March, a pilot workshop in Gaborone brought together policymakers, young professionals, and universities, and a concurrent visit by the Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Culture strengthened ties between cultural-sector organisations in both countries.

In November 2025, an EU‑funded TAIEX study visit to Estonia by the National Arts Council of Botswana—led by the Permanent Secretary of the Botswana Ministry of Sport and Arts—focused on film, and a Botswana short film was screened in Tallinn as part of the PÖFF Shorts programme. At the end of the year, a further workshop for policymakers and professionals took place in Gaborone with an emphasis on film and cultural heritage.

The cooperation is anchored in the network of UNESCO National Commissions and involves a broad set of partners in Estonia, including the Ministry of Culture, NGO Creative Estonia, Tallinn University, and the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy.

^{Participants of the heritage and creative economy workshop, March 2025}

At the Estonian National Commission for UNESCO, cooperation with Botswana is coordinated by Madli Kumpas, Education and Science Programme Coordinator. For more information, please contact: madli.kumpas@kul.ee.