The Challenges of Cultural Diversity and Freedom of Information in the Digital Era: Global Report "Re|Shaping Cultural Policies" launched in Buenos Aires

On November 29, 2016, a panel on "The Challenges of Cultural Diversity and Freedom of Information in the Digital Era” was organized at the Centro Cultural Kirchner (CCK) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This initiative, jointly organized by the Culture and Communication Sectors of the UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo and the Federal Media and Public Content System, served to present and discuss the 2015 edition of the Global Report “Re|Shaping Cultural Policies: A decade promoting the Diversity of Cultural Expression for Development”, now available in Spanish.

The panel brought together Minister Hernán Lombardi (Minister of Public Media and Contents System of Argentina), Mr. Joao Luiz Silva Ferreira, former Minister of Culture of Brazil, Mr. Joao Caldera Brant Monteiro Castro (Brazil), member of the Intervoices Board, Mrs. Vanina Berghella, Executive Director of the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA), Mr Hugo Achugar, Head of the Cultural Policy Program of the University of the Republic of Uruguay, Mr Guilherme Canela, Regional Advisor for the Communication Sector (UNESCO) and Mr Frédéric Vacheron, Cultural Specialist for the Southern Cone (UNESCO).

Debates placed a special emphasis on the links between the promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions and freedom of information as well as the challenges of artistic freedom.

This activity was part of a new cooperation program between the Public Media and Contents System of Argentina and the UNESCO Villa Ocampo Observatory.

The 2015 Global Report is the first in a series tracking the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Through its monitoring framework, this Global Report series helps governmental and civil society actors jointly engage in data collection and policy development in the area of culture, both at national and global levels.

The Report was produced with the financial support of the Swedish Government, through the Swedish Development Agency for International Cooperation (Sida), within the framework of the project “Enhancing Fundamental Freedoms through the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions”.