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The Tracker Culture & Public Policy | Special Issue n°2 : Regional Perspectives | LAC
Concerns related to culture in the digital environment raised in the Latin America and Caribbean MONDIACULT 2022 Regional Consultation included the low-level of intra-regional trade within the creative industries and the preservation of the cultural and linguistic rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendent populations. Participants in the consultation recommended strengthening the right to access cultural goods and services in the digital sphere, particularly the audio-visual sector. Improving the regulatory framework for copyright in digital environments, together with the World Intellectual Property Organization and UNESCO was also recommended, particularly as regards the collective rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations - including in the context of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages - to safeguard linguistic diversity and boost diversity on digital platforms. It was further proposed that digital platforms be created for the dissemination of good practices.
Existing Regional Policy Framworks Linking Culture and The Digital Environment
The Ibero-American Cultural Charter, developed by Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) in 2006, not only recognises the need to balance the rights of creators with a guarantee of universal access to information, knowledge and culture but also the challenges posed by new technologies for copyright protection.
One of 5 strategic objectives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Regional Digital Development Strategy is to “establish a culture of innovation and quality, and to enable sustainable production of regional digital goods and services, the development of cultural, creative and other cultural industries and the inclusion of local content in delivery of information.”
