Creating a much-awaited copyright policy for CCIs in South Sudan
After decades of conflicts, South Sudan is ready to share its creative expressions with the world. While humanitarian responses are still ongoing, the government is looking to the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as a motor of sustainable development, reconciliation and nation building. It is committed to creating legal frameworks for CCIs, beginning with the first-ever copyright policy, aimed at protecting and promoting artistic works of South Sudanese artists and creators. This project supports South Sudan’s nation building efforts as well as capacity building of its national authorities through ensuring that the copyright policy is created in a participatory manner. As a young nation with limited legal frameworks to guide the production of cultural goods and services, the project responds to the following needs and challenges identified by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports: Challenges
Needs
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The project conducts participatory multi-stakeholder consultations in Juba to design an inclusive, viable and dynamic copyright policy specific to South Sudan’s context: ministries, local authorities, civil society organizations, media practitioners, academic institutions, associations, unions and other relevant public and private actors will exchange ideas at meetings, seminars and workshops. Stakeholders will also learn good practices of other countries through peer learning.
This project facilitates South Sudan’s entry into the international copyright community. It assists the Government in evaluating the benefit of joining international copyright treaties and other existing mechanisms such as the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).
- August 2020: Launch of the project with a first in person consultation meeting and online participation of international experts.
- November 2020: Digital Peer-to-Peer with the Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA).
- May 2021: Peer-to-Peer with the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) and the Uganda Registration Service Board (URSB) in the presence of the Minister of Culture, Museums and National Heritage, and with a view to create a network among administrators of Copyrights with three East African that South Sudan could call upon.
- September 2021: Meeting with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).
- August 2022 (expected): Meeting with the national team for the presentation of this Bill following its submission to the Ministry of Justice for review.
Follow-up activities
- In order to consolidate the regulatory framework of cultural and creative industries, the team in South Sudan will also provide recommendations to include the 2005 Convention in the future National Culture Policy, with the assistance of Expert Facility Member Ms Tojo Yharimanana Rakotomalala and national expert Atem Elfatih.