Panama became a Party to the 2003 Convention in 2004 and has no elements inscribed as yet on any of the lists. In terms of competent bodies, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) is the main body acting through its Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage Project (or ‘Safeguarding Project’, located in the intellectual property General Directorate). The Vice-Ministry of Indigenous Affairs of the Ministry of Social Development has also prepared an inter-agency development plan, including intangible heritage with such areas as health, education and ecology; in addition, the establishment of an Inter-agency Council for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage was proposed in early 2016. The General Directorate of Handicrafts also runs a register of artisans and has a register of craft practices by region. The Department of Bi-lingual Education (under the Ministry of Education) is recording and revitalizing oral traditions and strengthening the country’s seven indigenous languages. The Art and Culture Centre of that Ministry is also involved in training regional coordinators to disseminate cultural programmes and conduct outreach in outlying areas and the Safeguarding Project staff have been trained by UNESCO to teach researchers and community members about the 2003 Convention, using documentation sheets and audio-visual technologies. Beyond this, there is no institution formally involved in training for intangible heritage management, although post-graduate university courses in relevant areas are planned.
No specific institution as yet exists for documentation and a need is also reported in order to develop a comprehensive protocol for this. The possibility of the Safeguarding Project becoming a permanent body for this and other safeguarding actions is being explored. In addition, the state radio and TV company and the Experimental University Film Group hold audio-visual records that can be made accessible.
Up until now, no comprehensive inventory of Panama’s intangible cultural heritage has been developed, although five Directories of different aspects of the intangible heritage exist: two related to specific ethnic groups and three for specific elements. These have been made by the Safeguarding Project and in cooperation with General Congresses of indigenous groups, as well as foundations and cultural associations related to the elements. An inventory database has been established which allows for cross-referencing by geographical location (GPS) and the five domains of the 2003 Convention. Audio-visual recording is only carried out in areas chosen by the communities and all documentation must be approved by their Indigenous Congress. The general format is that of a descriptive Directory in which the names of holders, transmitters and/or the element are given. In all cases of described elements, the communities are demanding up-skilling to be able to be more involved in documenting and safeguarding, and community leaders are identified for cooperation.
The focus of several other safeguarding measures is on promotion and training, through media outreach, fairs and training seminars, with the aim of raising awareness of the notion of intangible cultural heritage. Training workshops are planned in 2016 for 77 municipalities, ten regional offices of the Ministry (MICI), ten regional offices of the National Institute of Culture and 14 school regions of the Ministry of Education. In order to create a cadre of specialists and develop targeted research studies, two universities are preparing graduate courses focused on intangible cultural heritage and they will cooperate with the Safeguarding Project. Providing access to information on elements is undertaken through a journal of the MICI which includes information on the 2003 Convention, elements and other matters related to living heritage, and it is distributed among the cultural communities and in local libraries. The site database network, with updated information on GPS locations and information on communities has also been made available.
Formal educational programmes already include teaching on customs and cultural diversity (the distinct cultural expressions are recognized under Panamanian law). As non-formal teaching, the National Institute of Culture and the Handicrafts Directorate of MICI also hold craft classes for indigenous and local communities, with demonstrators who teach young people. Some independent community-based associations also teach dances, music and songs to young people while the General Congresses (for indigenous culture) assess the condition of elements and take measures to ensure the motivation of children to learn about them. Within indigenous communities, the Congresses recommend that arts and crafts (molas, basket-weaving etc.) be taught by older tradition-holders. In addition, fairs and festivals provide non-formal spaces in which young people and other visitors learn through audio-visual materials, competitions and traditional processes. Awareness about the importance of the environment and its resources for the intangible heritage is raised by the Safeguarding Project that disseminates information materials in communities and makes recordings of knowledge holders on the need to preserve the natural pharmacy and conserve natural resources; endangered plant species are being conserved in plots and the authorities cooperate with coastal communities to protect species through customs and traditions.
In terms of bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international cooperation, the UNESCO Office in San José, which includes Panama in its cluster, organized a capacity-building workshop in 2015 and MICI held an international congress on intangible cultural heritage that same year in cooperation with Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, UNESCO and WIPO, which has led to the development of a network of regional contacts for intangible heritage safeguarding. Also in 2015, specialists on the mole in Colombia and Panama met to analyze the feasibility of this cottage industry and the means of protecting it through intellectual property rights; documentaries and a video capsule on this element in Panama have been sent to Colombia in order to exchange information on this shared heritage, verify common elements and their variations over time. Lastly, Panama is preparing to become a member of the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL, a category 2 centre in Peru) in order to develop its international cooperation, exchange experiences and initiate staff training.
Panama has no element inscribed on the Representative List.