The information expressed in this document is based on consultations with civil society, NGOs, linked to cultural activities. Workshops and dialogue were held, accompanied by technical assistance from UNESCO, and information was also requested from other government institutions. In addition to taking reference from the National Law of Culture, the Law for Promotion, Protection, and Development of the Craft Sector was promulgated in 2016 in El Salvador.
El Salvador adopted the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions on July 2, 2013. The recognition of this legislation as national law provides a framework to support the rights of artists, cultural managers and indigenous peoples, as well as their active participation in the country’s public policies, while emphasizing the importance of culture as a human right.
Policies promoting the development of the craft sector and the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples have been developed on the basis of the Convention objectives. In addition, this adoption has enabled actions to promote intellectual property and government and economic support to cultural industries, and to provide a basis for future policies that further develop these areas.
At the national level, the Convention laid a foundation for the promotion of the arts and culture as tools to develop a culture of peace and prevention of social violence, which has yielded satisfactory results.
At the regional level, the Cultural Policy for Central American Integration, which emerged in 2012, proposes a general objective of contributing to the integral development of Central America as a space for regional cooperation and cultural integration, with a special focus on reaching countries, territories, groups and local communities at a social disadvantage through the development of human and institutional capacities in the cultural sector. In this regard, the policy broadly echoes the principles of the Convention.
International cooperation has been key to cultural management projects. The Convention has provided a policy framework that promotes cultural cooperation and establishes a basis to seek support for cultural initiatives. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the important role played by the Ibero-American Cooperation Programs (known as IBER Programs). El Salvador has been a member of the IBERESCENA, IBERCULTURA VIVA COMUNITARIA and IBERORQUESTAS JUVENILES Programs since 2014. These initiatives have enabled cultural cooperation between countries and promoted the exchange of experiences between artists and cultural managers.
However, El Salvador recognizes the challenges in implementing the Convention, in relation to the preferential treatment of cultural goods and services, the role of culture in sustainable development, as well as the need to strengthen the participation of civil society, especially artists' groups, cultural managers and various minorities in the formulation of public policies related to culture.
To this end, important documents have been produced in the country over the past decade, such as the National Culture Policy, the Law on the Promotion, Protection and Development of the Craft Sector, the Law on Culture and the Public Policy for Indigenous Peoples. Within this framework, the foundations have been laid for greater civil society participation and the right to cultural access and enjoyment.
| Organization type | Organization | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|
Public Sector
| Minstry of Culture
| cooperacioncultural@cultura.gob.sv
| http://www.cultura.gob.sv/
|
In June 2015, the document entitled "Evaluation of the National Policy for Women 2011 - 2014" was published. Some of the conclusions were that there is little articulation with other Laws so it is necessary to give more relevance to the National Policy for Women.
