UNESCO in Action Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean

UNESCO IN ACTION REGIONAL OFFICE FOR CULTURE IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIbbEAN UNESCO: BUILDING PEACE IN THE MINDS OF MEN AND WOMEN Since its creation by the decision adopted by the Third UNESCO General Conference held in Beirut in 1948, the UNESCO Office in Havana has implemented diverse programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean in the five areas of competence of the Organization, namely, education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information. Seeking to directly address the countries’ development priorities and contribute to the achievement of the Organization’s goals, the Office implements its programmes and activities in close coordination with the National Commissions for UNESCO and the corresponding governmental agencies, numerous regional, national, local and non-governmental institutions, as well as the existing coordination mechanisms in the United Nations System. This booklet summarizes actions that reflect the diversity and outreach of the projects undertaken by the Office, actions that also illustrate the institution’s basic functions as the Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, as the Cluster Office for the Latin Caribbean (Aruba, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti), and as UNESCO’s representation before the governments of Aruba, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. FORUM OF MINISTERS OF CULTURE AND OffICIALS IN CHARGE OF 1 CULTURAL POLICIES OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN MEETINGS HELD FOUNDED AT THE FIRST MEETING OF MINISTERS OF Brazil CULTURE OF LATIN AmERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, held in 1989 Brazil in 1989, the Forum is the oldest of its type and Argentina constitutes a unique space for reflection for the highest 1990 government authorities in the field of culture in the United Mexican region, as it is the only platform in the area where all States Member States converge. Since its first meeting, the 1990 Forum has counted with the support and collaboration Cuba 1991 of the Office, thus becoming one of the Organization’s Venezuela main counterparts for regional cooperation and the 1992 promotion of its conventions, priorities and main lines Chile of action. 1993 Trinidad and Tobago 1994 Nicaragua 1996 Colombia 1997 Barbados In accordance with the agreements of the 18th 1998 Forum, Suriname (in the picture), the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Cuba will be the Haiti venues for the 19th, 20th and 21st meetings, in 1999 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. The Dominican The Forum held its 18th edition in Republic 2001 July 2011 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in the Ecuador Plurinational State of Bolivia. Within the 2002 framework of the meeting, debates Venezuela were held on cultures and the processes 2005 Since 1999, the Office also facilitates, coordinates of change in Latin America and the Trinidad and finances the Forum’s Technical Secretariat, as well and Tobago Caribbean; cultural identity, intercultur- as the “Portal of Culture of Latin America and the 2007 ality and cultural management towards Caribbean”, the Forum’s longest-running project. The Argentina regional integration; the Culture of Portal, available online in Spanish and English (www. 2009 Peace, Productive Culture; “The Culture Ecuador unesco.lacult.org), has an extensive database with more 2010 of Living Well/Wellbeing”, the Qhapaq than 100,000 entries on the cultural activities of the Ñan, the Regional Project for Cultural Bolivia Member States in the region. 2011 Heritage; and South-South Cooperation. PROMOTION OF INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS 2 IN THE FIELD OF CULTURE THE OffICE IMPLEMENTS various projects and activi- • Producing an audiovisual ties of regional scope in order to promote the stan- video clip on the dard-setting instruments adopted by the Organization Convention made by The in the field of culture. Accordingly, in respect of the International Film and 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Television School of San the Diversity of Cultural Expressions the following ac- Antonio de los Baños tions are particularly noteworthy: (Cuba). • Supporting the TrAveLLING • Holding the ENCOUNTer CAribbeAN FILM SHOWCAse OF FILMMAKers frOM that, through its three AfricA, THE CAribbeAN editions and the SPeciAL AND THeir DiASPORAS, FILM SHOWCAse ON HAITI, Havana, September 2011. facilitated the distribution of 133 titles of Caribbean Among the outstanding ac- authorship to all countries in tions supported by the Office the region. in order to promote the 2003 • Launching in the Convention for the Safe- Dominican Republic the KIT guarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is the DiversiDADes: THE creATiviTY STRATEGY FOR THE TrAINING OF TrAINers IN LATIN AMericA GAME, an educational AND THE CAribbeAN –with a view to strengthening the awareness-raising tool for States Parties’ capacities for an efficient use of this young people standard-setting instru- between 12 and 16 years of age based ment–, and, as part of it, on the values and principles inspiring the holding of the first this convention; and hosting a regional workshop in workshop to train teachers in its use. Havana on March 2011. • Advising the New Latin American The translation of the Cinema Foundation (FNCLA) on the INTANGibLE HeriTAGE KiT INTO implementation of the STUDY ON THE AYMARA AND GUARANI, and EXPERIENCES OF FILMS AND its publication online at AUDIOVISUAL WORKS MADE BY THE the Portal of Culture COmmUNITY IN LATIN AmERICA AND (www.unesco.lacult.cu), THE CARIBBEAN: DEVELOPMENT also form part of the con- PROSPECTS, a project of regional scope tributions made by the benefited by the 2005 Convention Fund. Posters exhibit for Cultural Diversity, Havana, 2007. Office, with the support of the Spanish Agency of • National consultancy meetings in Colombia and the International Cooperation for Development (AECID), to Dominican Republic with the assistance of experts foster linguistic diversity and the safeguarding of the on legal issues and on underwater archaeology. intangible cultural heritage in the region. • Two subregional meetings, one for Mexico and Central America, held in Cozumel (Mexico) with the participation of 23 specialists from 14 countries; and the other for the Caribbean, held in Port Royal (Jamaica) with the presence of 12 representatives from the Member States in the area. • Specialisation course on the management of underwater cultural heritage and an introduction to underwater archaeology in Campeche (Mexico). • International conference and photographic exhibit in Colonia de Sacramento (Uruguay), as part of the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the 2001 Convention. Participants in the specialisation course on the management of underwater cultural heritage and an introduction to underwater The 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the archaeology, Campeche, Mexico,2011. World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which has 130 sites Additionally, various actions have been developed in in the region inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage collaboration with the UNESCO offices in Kingston, List, receives particular attention from the Office through Mexico, Montevideo and San Jose, seeking to promote the Caribbean Capacity Building Programme (CCBP), the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater which, in light of its importance, is separately dealt with Cultural Heritage in the region. For example: in this booklet. Historical Centre of Old Havana, World Heritage Site. THE CARIBBEAN CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMME 3 (CCBP) Cupula that remained hidden behind a false ceiling, and is being restored as part of the general renovation of the building. The project HeriTAGE RecOverY AND CULTURAL DeveLOPMENT IN HAVANA: PALAciO DEL SEGUNDO CABO, primarily designed to restore this flagship building located in the heart of Old Havana, is to be highlighted as an example of inter-insti- tutional cooperation for the rehabilita- tion of a World Heritage site. This project, the first of its type to be jointly carried out by the European Union and UNESCO in the country, also seeks to strengthen cooperation between Cuba and the European Union in the fields of The Pitons, Saint Lucia. culture and heritage, since, once the restoration of this 18th century building is completed, it is expected to house OrGANIZED BY THE OffICE in coordination with the a state-of-the-art cultural centre aimed at promoting inter- UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO offices cultural dialogue and its interpretation among different in Kingston and Port-au-Prince, and as a follow-up to the regions of the world. 2004 periodic report on the state of the world heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean, the CCBP seeks to strengthen the capacity to manage and protect the valu- able heritage in the Caribbean, as well as to contribute to the development of national policies oriented to this end in a subregion treasuring 21 World Heritage sites. The six thematic manuals that serve as the basis for this programme –available at www.unesco.org.cu and www. whc.unesco.org– address issues of major relevance to the sustainable management of cultural and natural heritage in the Caribbean, such as the application of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Caribbean Capacity Building Programme (CCBP) Chronology Cultural and Natural Heritage, the management of tour- ism in heritage sites, the management of risk prepared- 2004 ness, the management of cultural landscapes, and the › FEBRUARY. Conference for the › DECEMBER. Workshop to management of historic centres and of the natural development of an

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