In recent years, the field of intangible cultural heritage has seen significant developments resulting from the efforts of social groups, stakeholders, and public and private institutions at all levels. The 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has made progress both in its conceptualization and in the technical and legislative tools enabling its implementation.

Today, there is consensus on the need for a participatory, cross-cutting and contextual approach to the management of living heritage. The notion of integrated heritage has gained importance, articulating the tangible and intangible, biological and social dimensions of culture. Sources of international cooperation have diversified, while at the national level, member countries have developed policies, programmes and strategies to include heritage as a key factor in sustainable development, urban planning, social resilience and a culture of peace.

At the same time, the region is facing major political, economic, environmental and social challenges. Against this backdrop, thinking about the future of living heritage becomes essential, connecting global challenges with local responses and considering the role that living heritage can play in building fairer, more peaceful, sustainable and plural societies.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and the MONDIACULT 2022 and 2025 Declarations, the commemorative forum marking CRESPIAL’s 20th anniversary seeks to bring together representatives of institutions and agencies working in cultural heritage safeguarding, international guests, decision-makers, academics, researchers, leaders and bearers committed to cultural diversity and sustainable development in Latin America.

Regional integration will be a cross-cutting theme of the Forum, with the aim of promoting common strategic objectives, shared work agendas, collaboration strategies and medium- and long-term consensus, positioning cultural heritage as a cultural right and therefore as a fundamental human right.

Objectives:

• To identify and analyse the main challenges and trends affecting the safeguarding of living heritage in Latin America, considering their implications for public policies and cultural management.


• To exchange experiences, methodologies and good practices among institutions, bearer communities, researchers and cooperation agencies, in order to strengthen the integrated management of living heritage from the perspective of cultural rights.


• To generate prospective guidelines and lines of action that contribute to integrating living heritage into planning and cooperation agendas, in line with MONDIACULT 2022 and 2025 and the regional and national priorities of member countries.

Programme

21 October 2026

• Round Table 1: The Future We Want – participants: bearers


• State of the Art Presentation


• Panel 1: Exercising cultural rights and keys to plural governance


• Documentary screenings

22 October 2026

• Panel 2: Environmental challenges and possibilities for the care of life


• Panel 3: Economies, markets and strategies to sustain the commons


• Round Table 2: Clues for future local, binational and regional articulation

23 October 2026

• Panel 4: New technologies, images and representations


• Panel 5: Global instruments for local action

Text as provided by the organiser(s).