The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the regional office of UNESCO for Central America, Mexico and Colombia, the Association of Municipalities of Panama (AMUPA) and the Association of Mayors of Panama (ADALPA), organized an important training day for local authorities to strengthen their skills in cultural management, and this event, held at the regional headquarters of the University of Technology of Panama, brought together representatives of different provinces of the country and marked a significant step towards strengthening inclusive and sustainable cultural policies.

The Minister of Culture, María Eugenia HerreraHe opened the event by emphasizing the importance of protecting and promoting the cultural legacy of the country. "Panama is a cultural mosaic that is reflected in our provinces. Culture as well as preserving our identity, is also an engine for sustainable development. That training is only the beginning and we will work to get them to all the provinces and communities of the country, "stated the Minister during her participation.

The day included the issue of a letter of commitment renewed by the partnership agreement between the Ministry of Culture, AMUPA y ADALPAwith specialists at the UNESCO as witnesses, and reaffirms the will to work together with them to promote culture.

For his part, Enrique Lopez- Hurtadoand specialist in culture at the Regional Office of UNESCO for Central America, Mexico and Colombia, emphasized: "The active participation of local governments is crucial to ensuring that culture is a living right in our communities. That event attests to Panama's commitment to building strong and diversity-focused cultural policies.”

Highlights

The programme included high-level presentations:

    •    Enrique Lopez- Hurtado information about the Cultural Rights and Local Governance, showing strategies to integrate culture into governance.

    •    José Salazarspecialist in Cultural Governance and Development Policies at UNESCO Peru, addressed the Building Cultural Projects Profilesby providing practical tools for planning and implementing cultural initiatives.

    •    Miguel Fábrega, National Director of Creative Economics at the Ministry of Culture, presented the institutional strategy of Creative Economyand its impact on economic and social development.

Participation of local authorities

The event was attended by representatives of the municipalities of Aguadulce, Anton, Olá, La Pintada, Natá and Penonomé (Coclé), Pesé (Herrera) and Montijo, San Francisco, Calobre and Rio de Jesús (Veraguas). These authorities united in a joint effort to implement cultural policies that responded to the needs of their communities.