AU Confirms Rabat as Headquarters of African Capitals of Culture Committee AU Confirms Rabat as Headquarters of African Capitals of Culture Committee

Morocco’s growing role in cultural diplomacy has been increasingly visible since the country rejoined the African Union in 2017.

Rabat – The fifth session of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee on Youth, Culture and Sport, held from December 8 to 13 in Bujumbura, Burundi, officially confirmed Rabat as the headquarters of the African Capitals of Culture Committee.

The meeting brought together experts and ministers of culture from African Union (AU) member states, who unanimously endorsed the decision.

The committee approved the decision on December 12 through a unanimous vote. It also marked the inclusion of the African Capitals of Culture initiative in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the continent’s long-term development framework.

Rabat had previously been named African Capital of Culture for the 2023-2024 period. During those two years, the city hosted major cultural events that celebrated Africa’s cultural diversity and heritage. Building on this experience, an agreement to establish the committee’s permanent headquarters in Morocco was signed on September 10, 2024, in Rabat.

The agreement was signed by Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and Michel Saba, a representative of the committee and a cultural expert working with UNESCO. The move followed a decision by the AU Executive Council adopted in July 2023 in Nairobi, based on a report by the AU’s technical committee on youth, culture and sport.

Morocco’s growing role in cultural diplomacy has been increasingly visible since the country rejoined the African Union in 2017, after more than three decades outside the organization. The initiative aligns with the vision of King Mohammed VI, which promotes South-South cooperation and stronger cultural ties between Morocco and the rest of Africa.

Professor Lupwishi Mbuyamba, head of the Observatory of Cultural Policies in Africa, presented a report to African ministers of culture on the progress made in setting up the headquarters in Morocco. Despite some resistance during the process, the final vote was unanimous.

The committee congratulated Morocco on the progress it has achieved and called on AU member states to support the initiative.