Second Meeting of Ministers for Culture
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Second Meeting of Ministers for Culture Report of Meeting (Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel, Honiara, Solomon Islands – 4 July 2012) © SPC, 2012 –Cover design: Muriel Borderie – Photo: David Becker David Muriel design: – Photo: Borderie © SPC, 2012 –Cover Second Meeting of Ministers for Culture Report of Meeting (Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel, Honiara, Solomon Islands – 4 July 2012) Compiled by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Suva, Fiji, 2012 © Copyright Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), 2012 All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPC authorises the partial reproduction or translation of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPC and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial / for profit or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPC artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission. Original text: English Secretariat of the Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data Second Meeting of Ministers for Culture: report of Meeting (Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel, Honiara, Solomon Islands – 4 July 2012) / Compiled by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Cultural property — Oceania. Cultural policy — Oceania. Culture diffusion — Oceania I. Title II. Secretariat of the Pacific Community 344.0995 ACCR2 ISBN: 978-982-00-0585-3 CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Agenda .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Summary of discussions ......................................................................................................................... 3 Agenda Item 1: Official opening ....................................................................................................... 3 Agenda Item 2 – Elections .................................................................................................................. 3 Agenda Items 3 & 4 – Agenda and working hours ............................................................................ 3 Agenda Item 5 – Review of advancement of the culture sector since 2002 ....................................... 3 Agenda Item 5a – Achievements, challenges and the future .............................................................. 3 Agenda Item 5b - Selected country updates ....................................................................................... 6 Agenda Item 6 – Regional Culture Strategy (RCS) 2010–2010 ......................................................... 9 Agenda Item 7 – Presentation of the Pacific Culture and Education Strategy (PACES) 2010–2015 .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Agenda Item 8 – Other business ....................................................................................................... 11 Declaration of the Second Meeting of Pacific Ministers for Culture .................................................... 13 Annex 1 - Opening remarks .................................................................................................................. 15 Annex 2 - Status of culture in Guam ..................................................................................................... 17 Annex 3 - UNESCO update .................................................................................................................. 20 Annex 4 - Regional Culture Strategy 2010–2020 ................................................................................. 22 Annex 5 - Full outcomes of the 25th CPAC meeting ............................................................................ 25 Annex 6 - Closing Remarks .................................................................................................................. 26 Annex 7 - List of Participants /Liste des Participants .......................................................................... 28 Introduction The 2nd Meeting of Ministers for Culture, hosted by the Government of Solomon Islands and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), was held on 4 July 2012 at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel in Honiara, Solomon Islands. It was attended by representatives from American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rapa-Nui (Easter Island), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Countries not in attendance included: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga and Wallis & Futuna. The meeting was jointly organised by the SPC’s Human Development Programme and the Government of Solomon Islands. The meeting was chaired by the Solomon Islands Minister for Culture and Tourism and the Vice- Chair was the representative of Guam to the Council of Pacific Arts and Culture. This being only the second such meeting (the first was held in 2002) it provided the first opportunity for culture ministers to be updated on developments in the culture sector, at country and regional level, and on the work of development partners such as UNESCO. Key items on the agenda included presentation for endorsement by ministers of the Regional Culture Strategy (2010–2020) and the Pacific Culture and Education Strategy (2010–2015), and updates on the implementation of these key regional frameworks for advancing cultural development in the region. On the occasion of the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts, ministers celebrated the 40th year of the festival by watching a video on its history and receiving a publication about it: The Festival of Pacific Arts: Celebrating 40 years. At the end of the meeting, the ministers adopted a Declaration, confirming their full support and endorsement of achievements to date at regional and national level in culture and the arts, and of the work being done by SPC and its partners in the protection, preservation and promotion of culture. 1 Agenda 1. Official opening 2. Elections - Chair - Vice-Chair - Drafting Committee 3. Working hours 4. Adoption of the agenda 5. Review of advancements of the culture sector since 2002 - SPC Presentation on achievements, challenges and the future - Selected country updates (Guam, Samoa and Solomon Islands) - UNESCO update 6. Regional Culture Strategy (RCS) 2010–2020 7. Pacific Culture and Education Strategy (PACES) 2010–2015 8. Implementation of the RCS & PACES 9. Other business Draft Declaration Closing Special Note: During this meeting two special events were held. 1. Launch of Handcrafts of the Solomon Islands booklet 2. Launch of The Festival of Pacific Arts: Celebrating 40 years booklet and video. 2 Summary of discussions Agenda Item 1: Official opening 1. The meeting was opened with a prayer by the representative from Samoa. 2. The Minister for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Samuel Manetoali made the opening speech on behalf of the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Mr Gordon Darcy Lilo. He welcomed the ministers and representatives of the participating Pacific Island countries and territories and noted that this was only their second meeting, the first one having been held in New Caledonia in 2002. He emphasised that the purpose of the meeting was for the ministers to be informed about the role and activities carried out by the major cultural development bodies of the region and to hear reports on cultural heritage preservation, promotion and participation in the region. He urged the ministers to commit to ensuring that cultural development is integrated into social and economic development and not to lose sight of cultural values in this world of globalisation. He urged support for the Regional Culture Strategy 2010–2020 and the Pacific Culture and Education Strategy 2010–2015. He thanked the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) staff for their commitment and hard work in assisting regional and country cultural development efforts, and encouraged ongoing support for this work, in particular in light of recent recommendations of the SPC Independent External Review. He pledged the full support of the Government of Solomon Islands for SPC’s culture work. He highlighted the Festival of Pacific Arts as testimony to the richness of cultures in the Pacific, and congratulated Guam on being the host for the 12th Festival in 2016, wishing them success in this undertaking. (Refer to Annex 1 on page 18 for the Opening Remarks). Agenda Item 2 – Elections 5. The meeting elected the representative from Solomon Islands as Chair and the representative from Guam as Vice Chair. 6. The meeting appointed a drafting committee composed of representatives from Australia, Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Guam (Chair). Agenda Items 3 & 4 – Agenda and working hours 7. The meeting adopted its working hours and agenda. Agenda Item 5 – Review of advancement of the culture sector since 2002 8. A short DVD of the history of the Festival of Pacific Arts was shown by SPC’s Regional Media Centre to inform the ministers about RMC’s role in broadcasting the festival and to update them on the evolution of the Festival since 2000. Agenda Item 5a – Achievements, challenges