ICCROM’s Director-General, Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral and Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, signed a landmark Agreement to jointly implement a transformative new Programme in 4 African countries.

Backed by a generous €6 million grant from the Italian Government through the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, this three-year Programme aims to equip a new generation of African artisans with the skills and knowledge needed to promote and preserve the continent’s rich and diverse heritage and create socio-economic opportunities in this field. Implemented in close partnership with the Fabbrica di San Pietro in the Vatican, the Programme draws on centuries-long leadership in conservation. 

His Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, President of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, honoured the occasion with his presence to share greetings and a blessing over the ceremony.  

The catalytic project targets an initial group of 540 young artisans in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Kenya and Tunisia, and is designed to have a multiplier effect through a Training-of-Trainers model, which will propel wide-scale upskilling and formalization of craft professions throughout Africa.