The vast cultural richness of the Americas embodies thousands of different ways of looking at the world. This richness constitutes an extraordinary source of ideas to address diverse topics from how to preserve and protect cultural heritage, to questions of identity, dignity and the role of minority groups, to innovative relationships between cultural production and national economies. The Heads of State of the 34 Member Countries of the OAS have recognized all of the above, reaffirming that:

“… the cultural diversity that characterizes our region is a source of great richness for our societies. Respect for and value of our diversity must be a cohesive factor that strengthens the social fabric and the development of our nations” (Summit of Quebec, 2001).

And acknowledging the importance of the link between development and culture, they have made manifest their agreement that “ support for culture in its many dimensions contributes to, among other things, the preservation and protection of national heritage, the enhancement of the dignity and identity of our people, the creation of decent jobs, and the overcoming of poverty” (Summit of Mar del Plata, 2005).

Within these pages, you will find the activities that the Department of Education and Culture of the OAS carries out, acting as Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Meetings of Ministers and the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC): fostering policy and technical dialogue; building capacity through knowledge-sharing workshops on priority topics; and strengthening interagency cooperation.

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