The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture has developed a five- year strategic plan to promote the country's culture. The Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr. Alexander Asum-Ahensah, said this at a day's consultative forum on culture in Accra on Monday. The forum dubbed "Power of Culture in Development" is geared towards the cultural dimensions of development. Mr. Asum-Ahensah said culture is the fundamental source from which all other sectors of national endeavour drew its nourishment for growth. He said "culture, as the elemental source of life and sustenance, cannot be separated from other sectors of our lives". The minister said despite the challenges facing the cultural sector which included persistent budgetary constraints, the ministry was committed to ensure that there was due recognition of the place of culture in national development. He said government would not ratify the UNESCO Conventions for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Protection and Promotion of Diversity. UNESCO seeks to promote the culture of the country and had set up a fund for countries that had ratified the conventions to access and promote culture in their respective countries. The Regional Advisor for Culture of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Ms Moji Okuribido, said over the past decades, strong claims had been made on the impact of culture to development. "Whether it is economic growth, promotion of peace or tackling HIV/ AIDS; culture is often listed as playing a role," she said. She said culture contributed significantly as a development priority from education to environment and gender equality, adding that culture forms the backbone of development. Ms Okuribido noted that development challenges and the struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MIDGs) could be accomplished through culture. She said there was the opportunity to present culture as an integral and sustainable dimension of development since the international community recently recognised culture as a significant contributor for a sustainable development for the achievements of its objectives. Mr. Andrew Amegatcher, a legal private-practitioner, cautioned the government against ratifying the UNESCO Conventions for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Protection and Promotion of Diversity. He said the ratification of those conventions would contravene Article 39 of the 1992 Constitution which enjoins the government to pass a law to protect the culture of the country. Source: The Ghanaian Times