Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called for stronger regional cooperation to secure fair remuneration for creative professionals and facilitate the return of African cultural properties held outside the continent.
Speaking at technical meetings in Accra involving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other stakeholders, the minister stressed the need to strengthen protections for creators and preserve Africa’s cultural heritage.
She highlighted the importance of protecting intellectual property rights, establishing effective private copying remuneration systems and ensuring that creative professionals receive fair compensation for the use of their works.
Ms Gomashie also called for concerted efforts to recover African cultural properties taken from their countries of origin and held in foreign institutions and collections.
The meetings are expected to produce practical action plans to protect the livelihoods of creatives and advance efforts to secure the restitution of African cultural heritage.
The discussions form part of broader efforts to strengthen the creative economy and deepen regional cooperation in intellectual property protection and cultural preservation.
