Erika Sylva, Ecuador’s Minister of Culture, took over this morning the Pro-Tempore Presidency of the Andean Council of Ministers of Culture and Cultures of the Andean Community, during a virtual meeting where also took part Mariana Garcés, Colombia’s Minister of Culture; Luis Peirano, Peru’s Minister of Culture; Ignacio Soqueré, Bolivia’s Viceminister of Interculturalism, and CAN’s General Director, Baldeón Herrera.
Colombia’s Minister of Culture, Mariana Garcés, who handed over the Council’s Presidency, thanked the Ministers for their ongoing support to culture as a means for Andean integration, as a key aspect for the region’s development. She also presented a progress report of the Andean Cultural Industries Development Plan 2012-205, approved by the Andean Council of Ministers of Culture and Cultures last March. Actions highlighted were the presentation of the project DocTV Andino that aims at promoting the production and circulation of audio visual contents within the Andean community; the presentation of the first Andean Region Film Catalogue “Butaca Andina” that gathers over 180 film productions of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Perú, and the first steps to develop Culture Satellite Accounts in these four countries through a coordinated indicators system.
Minister Garcés also presented achievements in the field of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage and highlighted the proposal to carry out a cartography of the Amazon region. Regarding illicit traffic of cultural property, she informed that “the Decision 588 on the Protection and Recovery of Cultural Heritage Goods of the Andean Community Member Nations is being revised so that it coincides with a draft Decision on the Regulation of Cultural Goods’ Trade and it allows to set a joint position on UNESCO’s 1970 Convention that makes evident its legal void”.
Minister Sylva congratulated Minister Garcés on her performance as President of the Andean Council of Ministers of Culture and Cultures, and outlined the road map that the Equadorian Government will follow this year as President. “We will continue supporting the development of cultural industries and we will publish the second catalogue of Andean cinema, incorporating this time a significant sample of the best locations that these four countries have to offer, in order to promote the region as a destiny for film production” she stated.
She also announced the launch of the Andean Culture Seal that will acknowledge the best artistic productions of the region. Working groups for each cultural industry will be constituted. Book chambers will be invited to form a network for joint collaborations and an editorial Andean catalogue will be produced. This will also be done for the performing arts and the music industry.
Luis Peirano, Peru’s Minister of Culture, praised Colombia’s Presidency and reinforced the commitment of Peru’s government to continue working with the other Member countries of this region.
The Viceminister of Interculturalism of Bolivia’s Ministry of Cultures, Ignacio Soqueré, pointed out the importance that the Andean Committee of Ministers of Culture and Cultures is having, its projects and the political support of the four Member countries to the Andean Community of Nations.
Ministers of Foreign Affairs created the Andean Council of Ministers of Culture and Cultures on 23 August 2011, as a coordinating mechanism in charge of promoting cultural policies for the region and of putting forward initiatives to develop cultural industries, to value tangible and intangible cultural heritage and to promote cultural expressions, among others.
http://www.comunidadandina.org/Prensa.aspx?id=3232&accion=detalle&cat=NP&title=ecuador-asume-preside