UNESCO and the Omenaa Foundation partner to advance education, culture and the creative economy across the world  

Deputy Director-General Åsa Regnér met with Omenaa Mensah, Founder of the Omenaa Foundation, at UNESCO, in the presence of Director-General Khaled El-Enany and Ms. Maja Wawrzyk, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Poland, to sign a new 3-year Framework Agreement under which the Omenaa Foundation has pledged EUR 1 million to UNESCO, supporting education, culture, heritage and the creative economy as drivers of sustainable development.

The partnership was made possible due to the support of the Polish permanent delegation, making Omenaa Foundation the first Polish private foundation to partner with UNESCO.

“Foundations like Omenaa Foundation show the importance of innovative cooperation between the public and private sectors to promoting global solidarity. This agreement strengthens UNESCO’s ability to turn shared values into concrete action for the people we serve.”

Founded in 2014 by Omenaa Mensah, who is a Polish philanthropist of Ghanian descent, the Omenaa Foundation is a philanthropic network whose mission bridges culture, art and education, using them as instruments of social change to counter discrimination and advance the rights of children and vulnerable groups. Central to its work is a commitment to building bridges between Europe, Africa and the world at large, commissioning contemporary artistic interventions at major heritage sites and supporting artists, creators, children and young people through scholarships, residencies, mentorship and educational partnerships in Poland, Ghana and beyond.

Its work aligns closely with UNESCO’s Global Priorities on Africa and Gender Equality and makes the Foundation a natural partner in advancing these priorities through education, culture, heritage and the creative economy. Following the signing ceremony, UNESCO and Omenaa Foundation teams met to discuss the implementation of the partnership and its next steps over the coming three years.

”Today, we want to build Europe-Africa relations not only through charity. We want to build cultural, artistic, educational and business bridges based on partnership and mutual respect.  For me, that is hugely meaningful, because it shows that together we can create a new model of relations between continents.” – Founder of Omenaa Foundation, Omenaa Mensah

The partnership seeks to strengthen culture and arts education for children and young people, support the revitalization of heritage sites and promote contemporary African art and artists. It will act as a driver for culture and arts education to promote human rights and counter discrimination, in line with the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education adopted at the 2024 World Conference on Culture and Arts Education.

“This partnership connects innovation with culture, young people and Africa, one of UNESCO’s priorities. Over the next three years, I look forward to seeing this collaboration open doors for young people and create lasting opportunities for the communities we serve together.”