Regional Perspectives | Latin America and the Caribbean
The Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) has declared 2022 the Ibero-American Year of Culture and Sustainable Development. The declaration, made at the last Meeting of Ibero-American Ministers of Foreign Affairs in November 2021, will help to implement the Ibero-American Strategy for Culture and Sustainable Development, approved at the Ibero-American Summit in April 2021, as a roadmap to align cultural public policies with the Sustainable Development Goals. The declaration recognises several international events during 2022 that will amplify the dialogue around the relationship between culture, development and recovery from the pandemic, including the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT), to be held in Mexico in September 2022. Furthermore, SEGIB will continue to implement the strategy throughout the year through several of their ongoing programmes, notable the Ibercultura Viva Programme, Ibermúsicas, the Programme for the Promotion of Ibero-American Music, or the Ibermemoria Sonora y Audiovisual.
The Regional Cultural Committee of The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met from 2-3 December to discuss, among other issues, the recovery of the culture and creative industries from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Directors of Culture of CARICOM Member States explored ways of implementing measures to promote a more robust and resilient culture and creative industries, notably the Draft Regional Development Strategy for the Creative Industries in CARICOM. They also discussed issues pertaining to the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) due to take place in August 2022, financing the regional cultural agenda and the Region’s continuing pursuit of Reparations for Native Genocide and Slavery. Finally, a new project, with the support of the European Union, was announced entitled Creative Caribbean: An Ecosystem of ‘Play’ for Growth and Development, to provide grant funding for artists, professional arts associations and cultural entrepreneurs in the region.