Ecuador’s Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Ecuador (INPC) and the UNESCO Office in Quito are running the last of a series of three workshops on formulating public policy tools for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage from 13 to 16 June 2016 in Puerto López (Manabí province).

Initially planned in Portoviejo, also in Manabí province that was dramatically affected by the earthquake of
16 April, the workshop will be based on UNDP Post-Disaster Needs Assessment methodology in relation to the revision of development plans from the perspective of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in a post-disaster context.
Approximately 25 participants from regional offices of the Ministry and INPC, representatives of the National Planning and Development Secretariat, as well as community members who will be attending the workshop are from regions that have been seriously affected by the earthquake.

It is part of a two-year project supported by the Government of Japan to strengthen human and institutional capacities to safeguard intangible cultural heritage in Ecuador.

Last year, community-based inventorying activities were organized in Portoviejo to increase awareness and strengthen synergies.

This next step in the process will enable participants to reflect on the impact of public policy for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage from gender and human rights perspectives in the context of Ecuador’s development plan for “Well-Being”.