their artists and other cultural professionals and for their cultural goods and services. The UNESCO Recommendations Guidelines 3, 6 and 8 are dedicated to freedom of artistic expression. Guideline 3 provides in part that states have ‘a duty to protect, defend and assist artists and their freedom of creation. For this purpose, they should take all necessary steps to stimulate creativity and the flowering of talent, in particular by adopting artistic measures to secure greater freedom for artists, without which they cannot fulfil their mission, and to improve their status by acknowledging their right to enjoy the fruits of their work’. It is submitted that this Guideline anticipates that the State will be actively involved in the development of talent in Zimbabwe. There is a specific duty to protect, defend and assist artists in the event of situations threatening their freedom to create works. Facilities must be availed to ensure artists fully develop. One could say the establishment of relevant institutions such as the NAC, mandated to advance arts in Zimbabwe, is part of the fulfilment of the obligation, but so far Zimbabwe has not submitted its state report. The high levels of piracy in Zimbabwe and government’s hesitant efforts to deal with it are worrying developments. The problem has grown to the extent that the Parliamentary Committee on Arts and Culture held a public hearing on Wednesday 14th July 2015 where the NAC gave evidence on the issue of piracy. Government would be failing to protect and defend artists if it fails to deal with piracy. Piracy is a clear sign that artists are not able to ‘enjoy the fruits of their work’.73 Guideline 8 deals with the elimination of discrimination in the area of arts. No ground, listed or analogous, must be permitted resulting in discrimination in relation to ‘… opportunities to acquire and develop the skills necessary for the complete development and exercise of their artistic talents, to obtain employment, and to exercise their profession’. This research has revealed The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage which it ratified in 1975, Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, ratified in 1981, Cultural Charter for Africa (Port Louis, 1976), ratified in 1988 and Protocol to 73 57 | P a g e