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At the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT) in 2022, many Member States from the African region emphasized the strategic importance of cultural and creative industries for the sustainable development of their countries. The importance they attach to these industries is also at the heart of Agenda 2063 adopted by the African Union, which calls for them to be strengthened so that they can play their part in the full realization of Africa's development potential. 

Within this context, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� initiated a series of studies on cultural and creative industries in Africa, with a first report, “”, published in 2021, followed by a second, “”, published in 2023.

In the same vein, UNESCO plans to map the book and publishing sector in Africa in 2024.

This mapping is based on a consultation process with national governments and publishing professionals through a dedicated online questionnaire aimed at gathering data and information on the state of the book and publishing sector in their country. It will provide a clear and documented assessment of the current situation of the book and publishing sector in Africa, as well as strategic recommendations for the sector's development. It will include, in addition to country mappings for each of UNESCO's 54 African Member States, an analysis of trends, challenges and opportunities for growth in the book and publishing sector on the African continent.

The aim of this mapping is to enable the Member States concerned to be better equipped to respond to the challenges and priority development needs of the book and publishing sector in their countries. It will also allow UNESCO to establish a roadmap to support the development of this strategic sector in Africa through relevant programs.

In order to carry out the analytical synthesis of the mapping, UNESCO is looking for a Senior Editor supported by a suitably qualified team.

The selected bidder will undertake the following tasks between September and November 2024:

1. Carry out an in-depth qualitative and quantitative analysis of the survey responses submitted by relevant UNESCO Member States and other African stakeholders in the African book and publishing value chain, extracting relevant data and examples.

2. Consolidate and extend the main findings of this in-depth analysis by carrying out additional desk research, as necessary, based on available statistics on the book and publishing sector in Africa, policy documents, academic literature and other relevant sources, as appropriate.

3. Produce a first version of the analytical synthesis report assessing the current state of the sector, including especially the following topics: the dynamics of the sector's evolution at country level, the institutional, legal and economic environment (including legislation in force relating to the status of authors and the state of organization of both civil society and professional associations), available funding mechanisms (private and public), issues relating to the digital environment, education trainings available for jobs in the book market, initiatives aimed at promoting books and public reading, regional and sub-regional trade and cultural cooperation frameworks impacting the sector at national level, gender equality issues. In addition, in carrying out the analysis, the selected bidder will consider each stage of the value chain and pay particular attention to gender and youth issues in the sector, as well as links with education. The selected bidder is expected to highlight key regional and sub-regional trends where relevant, as well as promising results and innovative initiatives or measures that have contributed significantly to the sustainable and inclusive growth of the book and publishing sector in Africa. On the basis of this analysis, the successful bidder will provide insights into the development of the sector and highlight key opportunities and areas where public policy recommendations can be made to ensure that the sector can reach its full potential. The analysis should include diagrams, tables, charts, etc., to facilitate visualization of the results.

4. Based on UNESCO's comments and feedback, revise the draft analytical report, which will be finalized and published as an official UNESCO report.

• The bidder shall present a team of at least three (3) experts coordinated by a senior editor.
• The team must demonstrate experience and knowledge of the book and publishing sector in the continent's five sub-regions (North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa) and key expertise in the book and publishing value chain (creation, production, distribution, promotion), as well as in the cross-cutting themes cited in the mapping Terms of Reference (digital, education, etc.).
• The senior editor and team members should have at least 10 years' relevant experience and an excellent record of achievements in international research and analysis of cultural policies and measures in the African book and publishing sector. Proven regional and thematic expertise, including research experience and/or peer-reviewed publications on the African book and publishing industry, will be considered as an asset.
• Excellent writing skills and a proven ability to write a clear, comprehensive and analytical document in either English or French are essential.
• The proposed team must be able to consult sources of information in English and French, and the senior editor must have a good command of both languages. The ability to consult information sources in other African languages (Arabic and Portuguese in particular) will be considered as an asset.