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III Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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| Plan of Action |
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Plan of Action
During the discussions held on September 18,19 and 20, the representatives of the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean taking part in the technical sessions prior to the Third Encounter of Ministers of Culture and those responsible for Cultural Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean evaluated the activities agreed upon at the Second Encounter, held in Mar del Plata, which were included in the report of the provisional Secretariat, and examined the prospects for cultural action in the region.
Firstly, a diagnostic study of the situation regarding cultural actions in Latin America and the Caribbean was carried out, stating that the problems facing the region in some of the most important areas of development and particularly cultural action, are numerous and far- reaching.
Despite the situation described above, there is an increasingly powerful and visible impetus toward cultural unity in Latin America and the Caribbean, expressed through a current of affinities and shared concerns and a clear trend toward strengthening regional dialogue.
Forms of reaching concerted agreement
Institutionalising this form and establishing permanent mechanisms for consultation and concerted agreement in cultural matters.
Promoting and encouraging communication among the countries of the region in the fields of art and culture.
Holding systematic, periodic regional and sub regional meetings dealing with specific topics, enabling experts to make progress in technical discussions and concrete action programs on each topic.
- In November 1990, a Meeting of Central American Ministers of Culture is due to be held in Panama.
Provisional Secretariat and links
The provisional Secretariat should act as a means of linking and exchanging information and experiences among countries. We recommend that sole liaisons should be appointed straightaway in order to act as channels for effective communication. The provisional Secretariat should prepare, and hand over to the next country to hold the post, a report and work materials corresponding to its term of office.
We recommend the implementation of the following actions:
Cultural administration
- In May 1991, the First Technical Meeting on the Management and Financing of Cultural Policies for Latin America and the Caribbean will be held in Caracas, Venezuela. The meeting will take place with technical and financial assistance provides by the UNDP.
- A Cultural Administrators’ Training Meeting will be held in Venezuela during the firs semester of 1991.
Information systems
- The Regional Cultural Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ORCLAC0 will continue carrying out a project to create a Latin American Cultural Data Bank, the first phase of which will be the “Network of Governmental Cultural Institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean”. To this end, ORCALC prepared and sent a questionnaire to the countries, requesting them to participate by sending in the required information. ORCLAC will publish the data collected at the beginning of 1991, in order to share the information gathered.
- It was recommended that each country should draw up a national inventory of its cultural property in order to protect it and engage in regional collaboration to create a data bank to provide information on and promote the cultural values of the region.
Cultural and Natural Heritage
- Latin American countries that have signed the convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) were recommended to ensure its strict fulfilment.
- An Encounter to Reflect on the Preservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage will be held in Mexico City in May 1991 under the auspices of UNESCO, in relation to property registered on the list of the Cultural Heritage of Mankind. An invitation will also be extended to countries wishing to participate as observers, even if they do not have that type of registered cultural property.
- Establishment of a permanent regional communications network among agencies responsible for preserving cultural heritage, in order to exchange experiences in the legal, administrative and technical aspects of the protection of sites and monuments, in addition to making inventories and catalogues of them and publicizing them.
- In May 1991 a meeting of experts on cultural legislation will be held in Guatemala, with the aim of exchanging legal texts and juridical experiences, making legislation on cultural heritage consistent and defining criteria for the defence of cultural heritage.
- Drafting of a regional agreement for presenting exhibitions of archaeological, historical and artistic objects.
- Attend to the request for support of the government of Guatemala to host, in 1993, the Eighth Meeting of the “Intergovernmental Committee on the Promotion of Restitution of Cultural Property to its Country of Origin or Restitution in the Event of Illicit Appropriation”.
- Venezuela proposed to hold a regional seminar on cultural tourism and it’s bearing on the cultural and tourism development of the region, in 1991.
- Review of the OAS convention on the Defence of Archaeological, Historic and Artistic Heritage of American Countries (San Salvador Convention, 1976).
- Recommend to the governments of the region to support, to the extent of their possibilities, the conservation of their film heritage.
Cultural Industries
Books
- In November 1990, a Regional encounter on Books will be held in Caracas, Venezuela, under the auspices of the Regional Center for the Promotion of the Promotion of Books in Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLALC).
- Mexico will promote the publication of a series, “Cien de América”, and “Lecturas Americanas”, an anthology of books by contemporary of our continent.
- Mexico will develop a proposal for publications on contemporary Latin America and the Caribbean, consisting of a numerous, interdisciplinary series on regional topics and authors.
- The Casa de las Américas in Cuba will continue to publish series focusing specifically on Latin America and the Caribbean.
- It was agreed to develop cooperation systems for technological exchanges on books, libraries and the promotion of reading, together with the establishment and enriching of a data bank on bibliographical production and other forms of cultural recovery.
- The project for a Popular Latin American and Caribbean Library presented by CERLALC was discussed, and it was agreed to study it in depth during the Regional Encounter on Books.
- During the first semester of 1991, Venezuela, in coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will carry out a project to promote Latin American cultural integration through literature, especially with regard to the Caribbean.
- On the basis of the First Meeting of Experts on the Common Market for Latin American books, held in Caracas, Venezuela, on September 5-7 1990, it was decided to adopt the following specific recommendations to governments and the private publishing sector in order to overcome obstacles to the free circulation of books.
1. Support for the Partial Scope Agreement on Cooperation and Exchange of Property in the Cultural, Educational and scientific fields, signed by the countries of the Group of Rio within the framework of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), by:
- Promoting and encouraging adhesion on the part of Latin American and Caribbean countries.
- Promoting the ratification and fulfillment of the commitments envisaged in the Agreement, especially those concerning the elimination of all types of tariffs and quasi-tariffs on the part of all signatory countries and those adhering to the Agreement.
- Broadening the Agreement, extending its advantages to all books, without placing restrictions on authors’ nationalities and the type of edition or bookbinding.
2. Simplifying bureaucratic procedures by:
- Reducing the number of documents needed for international trade. We propose that these should be limited to the following documents and that they should be consistent in all the countries of the region:
- Customs declaration or import-export register
- Trademarks and titles
- Bill of Lading
- Trade invoice
3. Promoting international payment mechanisms, by endeavoring to allocate the appropriate amount of foreign exchange to cover payments of book trading operations, simplifying necessary procedures, especially those regarding central banks.
4. Making it possible, on importing books, to establish the option of total or partial reexport of books, or direct payment, over a definite period, of corresponding foreign exchange to exporters.
5. Making regulations in force in the region consistent as regards the regime for small-scale imports of books, by proposing that all operations for US$ 5000 or less be included in said regime.
6. Promoting special systems for the international exchange of books, such as compensatory exchange and pertinent agreements, seeking to eliminate dependence on hard currencies in the trade of publications.
7. Suggestions related to shipping books are:
- To strengthen special shipping mechanisms for books through concerted agreement on preferential rates for air shipment with UPAE, coordinating activities with CLAUPAE, especially through the SACAS-M project, reduced postal rates for air mailing of books and printed matter.
8. It is recommended that if the end product (books) are exempt from tariffs and quasi-tariffs, then mechanisms should be sought to make the goods involved in their production exempt as well.
9. To consolidate technological modernization processes in the paper, graphics and publishing industries in the region, by opening lines of credit and lowering of tariffs on imported machinery, equipment and inputs.
10. To support international protection of the paper, graphics and publishing industries in the region.
Films
- It is recommended that the countries adhere to the Ibero-American Film Integration Agreement, the Agreement for a Latin American Common Market for Films and the Latin American Film Co production Agreement.
- It was agreed to take into account the recommendations of the Conference of Film Experts of Ibero-America (CACI), which was held in Mexico on September 3-5,with the participation of the film authorities of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela and the attendance of observers for Chile and Costa Rica:
- To hold a meeting of international distribution representatives within the framework of the Viña del Mar Festival to evaluate the participation of MECLA in the principal international agreements and establish mechanisms for the exchange of films between the member countries.
- To strengthen the “La Habana” and “Latin Aim” markets.
- To include screen statistics, tariffs and fees as an item on the agenda of the Havana meeting.
- To maintain a close relationship among national public television broadcasting companies, urge participation in film production and obtain increases in the prices they currently pay.
- To standardize information on television and video (statistics).
- To invite public television broadcasting companies in the CACI countries to the Havana Festival.
- To recommend the establishment of quality film circuits in the member countries and include this topic on the Havana agenda as an item.
- To hold the first meeting of CACI in Venezuela in 1991.
- To establish a CACI bulletin with the support of Colombia and Venezuela, for which a project will be presented in Havana.
Audiovisual
- A meeting on audiovisual cultural policies for Latin America and the Caribbean, sponsored by UNESCO, will be held in Mexico in March 1991.
- The Latin American and Caribbean Radio broadcasting Union (ULCRA) will conduct a research project entitled “Horizon XXI: Prospects of Communication for Latin American Integration”.
- The Fifth Latin American Audiovisual Market (ULCRA) will be held in Mexico on September 27, 1990.
Television
- On the basis of the Latin-Caribbean Encounter on Cultural Television, held in Caracas on July 25-27, 1990, it was agreed to consider:
A. Information and Knowledge of the Area
To request to fiscal and statistics authorities of the respective countries to ensure that data and statistical information are compiled.
To request to the United Nations the inclusion of the television sector within the Standard International Industrial Classification (CIIU).
To request the category of “television programs” be included within the standard tariff classification.
B. Policies
Promote, in the respective countries, the formulation and implementation of national communication policies, which embody the State’s commitment to quality television, and the development of public service television.
Ensure that public television services have the institutional position and legal status most beneficial to the interest of the group. It was also suggested that it be included with the culture sector.
C. Integration Mechanisms
Urge the governments of the Andean sub region to launch and put into orbit the “Simón Bolívar” communications satellite envisaged in the Andean Telecommunications Satellite System (SATS).
Strengthen existing regional exchange bodies, such as the Latin-Caribbean Radio broadcasting Union (ULCRA) and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU).
D. Incentives for Domestic Production of Television Programs
Provide greater space in public service television broadcasting companies for independent producers on the basis of quality and a previously defined program in each country.
E. Training Human Resources
Prepare a regional project on technical cooperation that will contribute to training human resources and encourage the regional exchange of technicians and specialists.
F. Technical Infrastructure
Upgrade the technical infrastructure of production and broadcasting.
Make sure that all communications links extend throughout the region.
Prepare organization, administration and management models for radio broadcasting and public services.
G. Recovery, Registration and Conservation of Audiovisual Heritage
Urge all the countries of the region to establish and/or ensure optimum conservation, use and utilization of their film archives.
Establish audiovisual archives for Latin America.
H. Financing
Diversify sources for financing public services radio broadcasting.
Entrust the ULCRA and the CBU, in collaboration with other regional integration bodies, with conducting studies to market audiovisual products on the continent, taking into account the proposal of the Ministers of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean concerning the free movement of books and cultural property.
It is also recommended that the coordinated dissemination of jointly produced Latin American programs on specific regional characteristics in social and ethnic categories be promoted to achieve cultural benefits through the network of State television channels.
Cultural Circuits
- The Andrés Bello Festival will be held in Lima, Peru, in 1991; the site will be rotated annually among the member countries of the Andrés Bello Agreement.
- The Third Meeting of the Latin American Theater Circuit will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 26-28, 1990.
- A workshop on the topic “Our America” will be held in Mexico in July 1991 to commemorate the publication centennial of the work with this title, written by José Martí.
- Conduct, through the International School of Theater of Latin America and the Caribbean in Havana, Cuba, a Latin American theater caravan, in which approximately 300 people belonging to the theater groups in 20 countries will tour the continent.
- Hold a meeting of directors of biennial art expositions in Latin America and the Caribbean in the “Wilfredo Lam” center of Cuba during the celebration of the Havana Biennial in October and November 1991.
- Establish a Regional Latin American Circuit Theater Center that would operate in the headquarters of the Teresa Carreño Foundation and would deal with the following areas:
- Information Systems
- Education and Training Programs
- Production Exchange Systems
- Examination of the possibility of establishing a touring Latin American Opera Company.
- Study the possibility of creating a Latin American Ballet company based on a text that Venezuela will present.
- It was agreed to follow the recommendation formulated by the composers and performers that participated in the First Latin American Music Encounter, held in Mexico, that music institutions in each country should be developed and improved.
Development of Handicrafts in the Region
- Hold a regional seminar in Colombia during 1991 on the administration and financing of handicrafts in Latin American and the Caribbean, in addition to the topic of social protection for craftsmen.
Latin American and Caribbean Endowment for Culture and the Arts
- Analyze the feasibility of a Latin American and Caribbean Endowment for Culture and the Arts, which would encourage holding cultural activities jointly agreed on by the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- A meeting of experts will be held to analyze the action possibilities of this mechanism. The Latin American Integration Institute (INTAL) will present a report on this topic to the meeting.
Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Centers
- Analyze the possibility of establishing programs of the Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Centers, which does not necessarily imply constructing specific physical installations. This program is intended to be a cultural activity that will facilitate conducting projects agreed on at these encounters.
Fifth Centennial
- Notify the National Commissions of the projects developed in each country and in the region to strengthen their being held within the framework of Ibero-American forums.
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