On June 25, 26 and 27, Panama will host the Conference for the Promotion and Protection of Artists and Cultural Professionals of the SICA Region, with the aim of integrating relations, approaches and efforts of the cultural agents and institutions of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic as well as those responsible for the implementation of the Project for the development of the Regional Policy for the Promotion and Protection of Artists and Cultural Professionals.

The meeting was led by the Central American Cultural and Educational Coordination (CECC / SICA) and the Regional Office of the UNESCO San José, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Panama and was implemented with the UNESCO Aschberg Programme as an opportunity to strengthen the regulatory framework of the SICA through the design of a multinational policy.

That policy aims at establishing common and measurable guidelines with the participation of representatives of the governments of the CECC / SICA Member States and of the artistic and cultural sectors representing civil society and their communities, with the aim of enabling a regional framework for recognition, protection and promotion of the rights of people of art and culture as an impetus for sustainable and equitable cultural development in the region.

Three thematic challenges will be developed during the meeting:

1. Integration of approaches:
2. Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
3. Recommendation of 1980 concerning the condition of the artist and Results of the 5th global survey concerning the condition of the artist.
4. Decent working conditions for young artists: formulation of a public policy proposal. Costa Rica experience.
5. Central American Integration System and Cultural Policy of Central American Integration.
6. Listen and dialogue:
7. Project for the development of the Regional Policy for the Promotion and Protection of Cultural Artists and Professionals of the SICA Region.
8. Perspectives about the status of the artist in the SICA region from the consultative council and technical committee of the project for the development of regional policy for the promotion and protection of artists and cultural professionals of the SICA region
9. Organization:
10. Methodological recommendations for national participatory processes.
11. Preparation of an tentative schedule for the 8 national workshops.
12. Organization and guidelines for technical assistance to national workshops.

The capabilities of public servants and civil society representatives from the SICA region will be strengthened every day with respect to the UNESCO conventions and recommendations related to the status of the artist and common information about the status of the artist will be identified from the representatives of the Technical Committee and the Project Advisory Board and countries will be focused on the methodology for the development of national participatory processes for the development of the Regional Policy.

Project background

The creative sector of the SICA region currently faces complex challenges that have been aggravated by the COVID19 pandemic and have been put into place as part of the consultations for the implementation of our Strategy of Collaborative Response for the Cultural Sector of our countries.

That's why this project aims at promoting non-conventional actions that systematically reveal and solve the situation of artists and cultural professionals about precarious work, wage gaps, lack of freedom of expression, inclusion and participation of women in the creative sector, mobility and lack of data and regulations as well as strengthening regional integration.

To get more information about the evolution of this event, you can follow social networks from:

• CECC / SICA, https: / / www.facebook.com / CECCSG, @ cecc _ sica at Instagram, https: / / www.youtube.com / user / ceccsica and @ se _ CECCSICA at twitter.
• Besides @ miculturapma for Instagram and twitter and Panama's Ministry of Culture for Facebook and Youtube.