Taking stock of UNESCO’s capacity-building strategy in Latin America and the Caribbean

16 September 2013

After more than two years of implementation, time has come to take stock of UNESCO’s capacity-building strategy for strengthening national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL), a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO, will host a review meeting in Cusco, Peru, from 17 to 19 September 2013. The review will bring together eleven Latin American and Caribbean experts from UNESCO’s global network of facilitators as well as the Culture staff in UNESCO’s Field Offices in the region.

With a ratification rate of almost 90%, the commitment of the Latin American and Caribbean States to safeguard intangible cultural heritage is exceptional – as are their needs. All actors involved in the implementation of the capacity-building strategy – UNESCO facilitators as well as national counterparts – have been extremely active since the strategy was kicked off in a training of trainers workshop in La Havana, Cuba in April 2011. Their experience is therefore crucial to improve the effectiveness of the strategy and allow it to adapt adequately to different contexts.

• Peru,