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X Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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| Final Declaration |
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The Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean focused its efforts in the reflection and dialogue on the cultural policies of our countries in the last ten years. Outstanding progress has been achieved in defining common objectives. This comprehensive dialogue has allowed the consolidation of the Forum as a mechanism of regional integration and development in which common features, diversity and identity of our peoples are present.
The Forum has allowed, furthermore, to have a clear and precise idea and to understand the crucial role played by culture in the social and economic process. The creativity of the region constitutes a huge advantage that should be promoted and stressed. The cultural dimension has obtained acknowledgement in the international agendas of institutions and cooperation agencies as well as in the national sphere.
The Ministers and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies participating in the 10th Forum, reaffirmed the importance of the relationship existing between culture and other spheres, such as education, tourism, trade and social and economic development, topics that have been thoroughly discussed in regional seminars and conferences.
The Forum furthermore acknowledges the significant support offered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in the creation of the position of Technical Secretary to assist in the work of the Forum.
This 10th Forum has been devoted to reflect on the topic of Culture and Trade and to the Exchange of ideas and experiences on globalization and its relationship with cultural identity and development processes. In the field of culture, perhaps even more than in any other field, it is necessary to promote clear cultural policies that would mitigate the obvious impact of globalization. This would lead, in turn, to the strengthening of our cultural diversity.
Globalization features a fast changing context that poses enormous challenges to our region. The Forum is convinced that the strength to face such challenges can be found in the culture that has shaped and defined us and that would eventually sustain us. However, the sustainment it has brought to us in the past has been rather a spiritual sustainment. As long as it remains as such, we will have to orient ourselves and understand the potential of culture for our economic sustain.
Latin America and the Caribbean, as a region, generates an enormous variety of cultural products that evidence the wealth, diversity and identity of the countries in the region.
Our countries need to coordinate actions aimed at strengthening cultural industries, expand markets and discuss specific cultural products in international commercial negotiations. Cultural products are much more than a mere commodity and therefore require special attention.
The Forum agreed on the need for investment in cultural industries which, like any other industry, need support and the necessary infrastructure to gain more credibility.
The Forum considers that our main resources are in our own rich and impressive culture that has been universally recognized, and in our own capacity for coordinated action, and in acknowledging that united we are much more competitive and much better positioned in the international market with regards to the promotion of our cultural and artistic productions.
Therefore, the 10th Forum affirms that the approaches towards the administration of cultural resources, and cultural industries must be reconsidered and redrafted to ensure the survival and the development of cultural industries in Latin America and the Caribbean. These approaches pose serious implications to rethink the traditional foundations upon which our societies have been built.
The 10th Forum approved agreements to:
1. reaffirm and strengthen the process of cultural integration;
2. discuss aspects of the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, especially our underwater cultural heritage;
3. promote the cultures of our region;
4. consolidate our capacity to develop sustainable cultural industries;
5. develop a strategic position in the area of commercial cultural policies so that individual countries could be assisted in the negotiations with both international and regional commercial blocks, thus consolidating and reinforcing the effectiveness of our institutions for the benefit of our peoples.
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