The Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean is the oldest project being implemented by the Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean and is coordinated and financed by the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of a Network of National Coordinators appointed by each Member State, out of which 15 are participating actively in the Portal. The Spanish version has been on-line since 2002, and the English since 2004. The French version will be launched before the end of 2009.
The Portal is the threshold to the rich cultural diversity of the Region and provides information the Ministries in charge of Culture and cultural institutions, on cultural policies, cultural agenda, news, most important documents as well as on other relevant UNESCO programmes or priorities in the field of culture. The Portal provides as well exclusive information, for example, documents from the meetings of the Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean, and all the articles of Oralidad, Annual for the Recovery of Oral Traditions in Latin America and the Caribbean since it was first published in 1988.
The Portal dedicates one of its sections to the UNESCO Project “The Slave Route”. This section presents exclusively the Web version of the multimedia Places of Memory of the Slave Route in the Latin Caribbean, with information about the 25 Places of memory of "The Slave Route" identified in Aruba, Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic.

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A cultural initiative of the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (Cuban Film Institute) (ICAIC), sponsored by the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, the UNESCO Offices in Kingston, Jamaica and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the Ministry of Culture of Jamaica as well as other major government and academic cultural institutions in the region, aimed at promoting the cultural diversity of the film production in the Caribbean, strengthening the industry of cinema in the sub-region, encouraging production of diverse and quality audiovisuals, as well as expanding their distribution. The Showcase provides an exceptional platform for the exhibition of films and documentaries made in the Caribbean while at the same time it acknowledges the quality of productions.
The First Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase was shown in 19 countries in our region and was welcomed by the American Cinemateque in Hollywood, and the British Museum in London. It also received a special acknowledgement from UNESCO during its presentations in its Headquarters in Paris. The second Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase, at the request of UNICEF, was devoted to children and adolescents and its exhibition program encompassed 27 countries in the island and continental Caribbean.
At the request of the Forum of Ministers of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean recently held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the exhibition program of the Third Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase intends to embrace most of the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in the year 2010. To this end, the Showcase will have the support of the ministries, institutions and authorities guiding the cultural policy of the Caribbean and Latin American countries, The Third Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase will include films in which Caribbean authors present the real life of the Caribbean Diaspora in the world and, also, films by non-Caribbean authors whose stories offer a true approach to the realities in our region. ANNOUNCEMENT ( BACK )

A project promoted by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, its main objective is to facilitate mutual knowledge between Latin American and Caribbean, fostering at the same time integration and cooperation in the field of Museum studies, specifically for inventories and registers of heritage, thus sharing responsibility in the protection and safeguarding of the individual and collective cultural heritage.
In this regard, the idea is to create a virtual network of museums in Latin America and the Caribbean; to promote international cooperation between museums; create the largest international exhibition of art and heritage property which would be a jeans for cultural integration and a common front against illicit trafficking of cultural property and works of art; and disseminate the heritage treasured in all the museums of the region providing equal opportunities for all, while promoting and respecting, at the same time, the cultural diversity of the region.
The virtual platform is already available on–line. Currently three Member States are actively participating in the Project: the Republic of Cuba, Dominican Republic and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. ( BACK )

The objective of the Project, submitted by the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is to create an online Carnival Museum that includes pictures, videos, music and interviews with Carnival Maestros to preserve the traditions of carnival in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Each Country can also host a smaller version of the museum if they want using all the materials created for the museum. ( BACK )

The Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) is one of the most important cultural events held in the Caribbean and Latin America. Since 1972, when CARIFESTA I was held in Guyana, the event has convened outstanding writers, artists, musicians and intellectuals in ten festivals.
This event, aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue and to present and showcase the cultural diversity characterizing the peoples in the region has been held in Guyana (1972), Jamaica (1976), Cuba (1979), Barbados (1981), Trinidad and Tobago (1992, 1995), St Kitts and Nevis (2000), Suriname (2003), Trinidad and Tobago (2006) and Guyana (2008).
CARIFESTA X attracted more than 1,300 participants from 25 countries. According to estimates, some 500,000 persons visited the various venues of the festival, a figure that proves the enthusiasm of the participants and the interest in the diverse celebrations of music, dance, theater, cuisine, visual arts, book fair, as well as in the symposia and fashion shows to mention just a few of the activities showcased during the Festival.
Information on the hosting of CARIFESTA XI will be posted soon.
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The CCBP is a training programme on cultural heritage, available to all UNESCO Member States and Associated States in the Caribbean, a region that treasures 20 world heritage sites.
The Caribbean Capacity Building Programme for the Cultural and Natural Heritage 2004-2014 was adopted by the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Center of UNESCO in 2004 and aims mostly at strengthening subregional capabilities with regards to the management and protection of its rich heritage while at the same time facilitate that the sites with exceptional universal value in the area are acknowledged as such. The programme is based, on the one hand, on the Global Strategy to draft a more balanced representative list, as adopted by the World Heritage Committee in 1994, and based also on the assistance provided by both the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Center to the Caribbean.
The objective of the initiative is to strengthen and boost the capabilities of Caribbean professionals with regards to the management and protection of cultural heritage as well as facilitate the inscription of new cultural and natural sites in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The programme is being implemented by the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean together with the World Heritage Center and the UNESCO Offices in Kingston, Jamaica, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Training workshops have been held in Barbados, Dominican Republic and Cuba. Other activities were held in Haiti and Netherlands Antilles in the current year. The UNESCO Office in Montevideo, Uruguay, organized a meeting of experts in December 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to discuss and assess how to adapt two of the models of the training programme for MERCOSUR. Other UNESCO Cluster Offices have also expressed their interest in taking part of the experience. ( BACK )

Bearing in mind that Cultural Itineraries not only favor communication and understanding among the peoples, but also encourage cooperation aimed at the conservation, safeguarding and revaluation of the Region’s Cultural Heritage, the Republic of Argentina, based on a previous experience developed by Argentina and Brazil, submitted a proposal aimed at encouraging the Identification and Valuation of Cultural Itineraries that could become significant ways towards the cultural integration in the region.
In this sense, the XVI Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean approved the “Piloto Project” of regional outreach Cultural Itinerary in the Region of the Jesuit-Guarani Missions, which encompasses the religious missions in Argentina (San Ignacio Miní, Loreto, Santa Ana and Santa María la Mayor); Paraguay (Trinidad, San Cosme and Damián y Jesús); Brazil (Sao Miguel Arcanjo, Sao Nicolau and Sao Lorenzo) and Bolivia (Chiquitos and Mojos). ( BACK )

The government of the Republic of Ecuador, aimed at promoting the integration process in Latin America and the Caribbean, considers it is of the greatest importance to eliminate cultural divisions between the peoples so as to achieve a more effective and dynamic social participation. In this regard, it has submitted the Project Collection 200, A Shared Culture In Latin America and the Caribbean, whose general objective is to facilitate circulation of symbolic artistic expressions as well as cultural-historic expressions related to the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Independence of the countries in the region, thus contributing to the cultural integration and dynamics of this new commemorative cultural circuit.
Its specific objective is to disseminate written, visual, audiovisual and music works as well as the integration of creators in Latin America and the Caribbean. ( BACK )

The general objective of the CARICOM Children's Website is to establish a Forum to promote understanding of regional integration among children as well as developing national and regional identity. The Website will provide the children with the opportunity to learn more about other children both from the region and from other countries in the world.
Specifically, it aims at working as a virtual network of knowledge for the children of the Caribbean, Latin America and other parts of the world.
The Project will facilitate transfer of knowledge through interactive multimedia. The significance and impact of this Project will be obvious taking into account the wide support it will receive from parents, schools, businesspeople, investors and politicians. The CARICOM Website for Children will be based at the CARICOM Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, and will have national, regional and international coverage. ( BACK )

Since 2006, and within the MERCOSUR cultural project, members agreed upon preparing a first assessment of the impact on the PBI. In 2007 the experience expanded to also assess foreign trade of cultural goods and property in the region. A number of meetings have been held to discuss these issues within MERCOSUR. Therefore, valuable information was gathered that facilitated the creation of the SIC SUR, which is structured on the basis of the following aspects: Cultural Statistics and Indicators, Cultural Map of MERCOSUR, Cultural Institutionalization and Studies and research. Methodologies and results of the System are available to all Member States of the region. ( BACK )

5 May 2009/ Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean
The Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, submitted to the appreciation of the 181st session of UNESCO’s Executive Board a report on the results of the proceedings of the International Scientific Committee for the Slave Route Project and an evaluation of its work. The session took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, 14-30 April, 2009.
The Director-General also submitted for examination by the Executive Board the project document for The Slave Route, which defines a new strategy and a timetable of activities for its revitalization.
This strategy develops new approaches and methodologies to reinforce the Project, extends its geographic scope and proposes the introduction of new themes. Its presentation in the framework of UNESCO’s Executive Board was approved by the 9th meeting of the International Scientific Committee of the Slave Route Project, held on 17 and 18 February, 2009 at UNESCO Headquarters.
More Information:
Reports by the Director-General of UNESCO on the Slave Route Project ( BACK )

30 April 2009/ UNESCO Press Release N°2009-36
In the face of a changing multilateral environment, UNESCO's Executive Board at its 181st session recommended a set of innovative arrangements that introduce new ways of engaging world leaders in a constructive dialogue on global challenges. The reforms will modify the working methods of its main decision-making body - The General Conference - composed of delegates representing 193 Member States.
“With its over 200 Ministers, some of whom are government leaders, from all round the world and some 4,000 delegates, observers and press who regularly attend the Conference, it is a real world summit that is under-utilized and insufficiently publicized,” said the President of the General Conference, Ambassador George Anastassopoulos of Greece.
“UNESCO' biennial, three-week, Conference is a major forum for global governance on critical issues such as the impact of the financial crisis on education, the role of sciences in development, cultural diversity, intellectual cooperation and bioethics. In our current context, we must do everything we can to render this forum as effective as possible,” said Mr Anastassopoulos.
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28 April 2009/ Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations General Assembly, by virtue of its Resolution 62/90 dated 17 December 2007, decided to declare 2010 the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, and recommends that, during the course of the year, appropriate events be organized on interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace, inter alia, a high-level dialogue and/or informal interactive hearings with civil society.
Text of the Resolution ESPAÑOL, ENGLISH, FRANÇAIS ( BACK )