UNESCO Culture Programme and Estonia

UNESCO Culture Programme has two strategic objectives:

– Protecting, promoting and transmitting heritage
– Fostering creativity and the diversity of cultural expressions

Action focuses on supporting Member States in their efforts to implement cultural conventions as platforms towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in mitigating the impact of conflicts and natural disasters on culture.

Estonia has ratified five out of six UNESCO’s cultural conventions that are intended to safeguard and nurture some aspect of culture and creativity, from tangible and intangible heritage, the diversity of cultural expressions and creative industries, to the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.

  • Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict with Regulations for the Execution of the Convention. The Hague, 14 May 1954.  (04/04/1995; Accession) and the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Hague, 26 March 1999. (17/01/2005; Approval)
  • Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Paris, 14 November 1970. (27/10/1995; Ratification)
  • Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Paris, 16 November 1972. ( 27/10/1995; Ratification)
  • Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Paris, 17 October 2003 (27/01/2006; Approval)
  • Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Paris, 20 October 2005 (18/12/2006; Approval)  

In addition to the work related to the conventions, Estonia attaches importance to UNESCO networks, such as the Creative Cities Network. Tartu was designated the City of Literature in 2015.