Situation and Trends in Cultural Policy in Member States of Latin America and the Caribbean

Transcription

1 World Conference on Cultural Policies CLT/82/MONDIACULT/REF. '/LAC Mexico City, 26 July-6 August 1982 Situation and Trends in Cultural Policy in Member States of Latin America and the Caribbean

2 CLT-82/MONDIACULT/RF.I/LAC PARIS, 21 June 1982 Original: Spanish UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION WORLD CONFERENCE ON CULTURAL POLICIES (Mexico City, 26 July-6 August 1982) SITUATION AND TRENDS IN CULTURAL POLICY IN fl.iember STATES OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN -I SUMMARY This document on Latin America and the Caribbean was prepared on the basis of the replies to questionnaire CC/CD/DOC/145 Ann. (which is attached) received from a number of Member States. Some data on national cultural policies were taken from other official sources. There are similar documents on Africa, Asia and Oceania, the Arab States and Europe. These files contain country profiles and are preceded by an analysis of the situation and trends in cultural policy throughout the world in the 1980s.

3 (ii) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION... (iii) I1. LIST OF ENTRIES Argentina... 1 Brazil... 6 Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Panama Peru Uruguay Venezuela ANNEX 111. QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES OF CULTURAL POLICY IN MEMBER STATES 79

4 (iii) INTRODUCTION I. SOURCES OF INFORMATION 1. In preparation for the World Conference on Cultural Policies, due to be held in Mexico City from 26 July to 5 August 1982, Unesco's Clearing House and Research Centre for Cultural Development sent out a questionnaire(1) to all Member States in July 1981 for the purpose of compiling a reference document on the present situation and trends with regard to cultural policies in Member States. The questionnaire ccnsisted of eleven groups of questions relating to: I. The general direction of cultural policy 11. Administrative structures of cultural policy A. Public or semi-public bodies B. Non-governmental cultural institutions 111. Preservation and development of the cultural heritage IV. Aid to artistic and literary creation V. Cultural education, dissemination and animation VI. Arts teaching VIZ. Training of personnel for cultural action VIII. Cultural industries IX. Financing and planning of culture X. Legislation and research in the field'of cultural development XI. External cultural policy 2. This document is based on the replies received up to January 1982 from a number of Member States. In the case of countries which had not replied by then, other sources of material have been used, including the replies to the questionnaire (CC/CD/CP/900) on the implementation of cultural policies, sent out in October 1980, those to the letter (CC/CD/CP/135) on cultural legislation sent out in July 1981, the monographs published by Unesco in the 'Studies and documents on cultural policies' series, some of which were issued some while ago and could profitably be updated, the country profiles prepared on the occasion of various intergovernmental conferences on cultural policies organized by Unesco in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean,(2) and by ALECSO for the Arab states (November 198l), together with various documents published on the initiative of Member States, reports of expert missions, periodicals and so forth in the possession of Unesco's Clearing House and Research Centre for Cultural Development. All these provide a large body of important information, although it is sometimes incomplete and may even be out of date owing to changes in the cultural policies of Member States. (1) Questionnaire on+,the administrative structures of cultural policies in Member States of Unesco (CC/CD/DOC/145 Ann.). (2) Eurocult (Helsinki, June 1972)--Asiacult (Yogyakarta, 1973)--Africacult (Accra, October-November 1975)--Americacult (Bogota', January 1978).

5 3. The purpose of this synopsis is to clarify the situation and trends with regard to cultural policies in the early 1980s. The task is obviously a difficult one because, as already indicated, the sources of information are by no means uniform but also because political systems, historical backgrounds, social and cultural traditions and administrative systems differ widely. There can be no discussion or cultural policy without reference to the socioeconomic and socio-political circumstances of which that policy is the reflection and the product. Few replies to the basic questionnaire, however, bring up this point. Furthermore, the information gathered relates only to the institutional aspects, which are often merely the 'surface of things' and have little to do with underlying cultural life. Something else lacking is an evaluation of the programmed activities, since the material received often merely states the aims pursued and does not report on the results achieved. 4. An attempt will nevertheless be made to present a summary picture, albeit by no means exhaustive of: the present situation with regard to cultural policies as reflected in the material gathered; the likely future trends of these policies on the threshold of the 1980s. 11. SITUATION WITH REGARD TO CULTURAL POLICIES 5. In reply to the question on the general direction of cultural policy, practically no country states that it does not seek to pursue any form of cultural action. Even federal or decentralized countries now accept the idea of a national cultural policy, at least in the sense of a general direction or a trend as regards government measures. This general trend is frequently expressed in the constitution of the state, if only from the angle of the right to education or the need to promote a genuine national culture freed from colonial influences or foreign domination. Other basic texts in this respect are statements made by heads of state or ministers, the policy lines of the government party concerned, general or specific laws and regulations, and so forth. According to the political system of the country concerned, its ideological background or the situation with regard to its economic development, the emphasis regarding major cultural policy objectives varies from one state to another. The industrialized countries attach major importance to full development of the human personality, to cultural democracy, to the democratization of culture through initial and lifelong educa.tion, to improvement of the status of artists, to freedom of creation and research, to assistance for cultural minorities and disadvantaged groups, to the aesthetic education of children and young people, to protection of the artistic heritage, and to decentralization and cultural participation. The developing countries are concerned, in addition, with economic development, enhanced appreciation of their own cultures, with special reference to their national languages, mass literacy teaching, the role of intellectuals in cultural promotion work, the development of cultural activities among young people, recognition of the interest of minority cultures and, above all, the recording and development of folk customs, traditions and arts regarded as expressing their identity atid the authenticity of the country's distinctive culture. The socialist countries also place emphasis on the need for mass education with a view to producing a new type of person There has been a spectacular tendency on the part of the public authorities, especially in the 1970s, to set up government departments in charge of culture or to add to the responsibilities of existing departments (generally education but also youth and sports, tourism, scientific research, etc.) by

6 extending their purview to include cultural affairs. In many cases, the Ministry of Culture has been established by separating it off from the Ministry of Education. In states organized on the British pattern, there is no ministry but an independent arts council. Many countries report that cultural activities are looked after by a host of different departments, which may be concerned with buildings and equipment, the environment, information or communication, education, health, etc. External cultural relations are generally the concern of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Interdepartmental co-ordination then becomes an acute problem. Lastly, it may be noted that the government is often assisted in its work by general or specific advisory councils which enable experts to have a hand in the framing of cultural policy. 7. An increasingly topical watchword is decentralization. In countries with a federal structure, cultural affairs are mainly handled at regional or provincial level. But centralized countries are also tending to delegate powers in this respect to regional and local bodies, with the assistance of advisory councils. 8. With regard to cultural action among the people, Member States are divided between socialistic countries which recognize only public bodies and other countries which have public bodies coexisting with a sector made up of private associations. In some Asian and African countries, religious bodies play an important part. The major cultural organizations almost everywhere are: universities and academies; drama, dance, music and other art groups; cultural associations of amateurs or for aesthetic education; artists' and writers' unions; cultural and socio-cultural centres; social organizations of workers, peasants, women, young people and others. These bodies may or may not be associated with decisions concerning cultural matters. 9. The implementation of cultural policy is based on a number of instruments showing varying degrees of sophistication in different countries. The main instrument is, of course, a budget for cultural purposes, which is seldom worked out and designated as such. This budget may come under one or more ministries and, in the most advanced countries, there may be separate regional and local budgets. Depending on the type of political system, cultural funds may be drawn solely from public sources and allotted only to public bodies, or may be divided between a public sector and a private sector. In some countries, the bulk of expenditure on culture comes from the private sector, particularly foundations, or is simply governed by market laws (cultural industries). In most cases, however, cultural funds are provided out of public tax revenues and are spent in the form either of direct outlays by state agencies or of subsidies to the private sector. Assistance for cultural activities is sometimes provided from the product of special levies (taxes on admission tickets or on gambling) or by way of tax exemptions. 10. There is a certain trend towards rationalization in cultural expenditure, particularly in the planned-economy countries and in the industrialized countries, through integration of the cultural field into national planning. In various European countries which do not include culture in plans extending over several years, the general or sectoral trends are reflected either in periodic reports by the Ministry of Culture on the status of cultural policy, or in detailed studies, accompanied by practical recommendations, carried out by experts. 11. Research in the field of cultural development should be the necessary corollary of any rationalization of public decision-making in this area. While some countries, particularly the most advanced, have long since evolved

7 instruments for analysing cultural development (statistics, studies of cultural expenditure and budgets, sectoral studies and research, etc.) and Unesco has launched a number of regional undertakings to promote such research, it has to be recognized that most Member States fall short in this respect for want of financial resources and experts. A number of developing countries, however, do have a system of national statistics. Research in the field of culture is generally carried out by universities and research institutes and concerns such items as modern and traditional arts, history, language, etc. 12. Legislation in the field of cultural development is another instrument of cultural policy, even if it has not everywhere gone as far as might be wished. The most advanced countries are faced with the dual problem of co-ordinating laws and regulations and simplifying legislation. 13. Reference must also be made to the problem of the training of personnel for cultural development. This is a new idea which needs to be promoted, even though there are a number of national or subregional training centres for cultural activities organizers and administrators (such as CRAC in Lorn&, CTC in Kingston, CLACDEC in Caracas and IFAC in Tunis), as well as national or regional training and refresher seminars. Most existing training schemes are sectoral, being concerned with the theatre, music, the visual arts, archives, museums, libraries, etc. In the case of many developing countries, such training is carried out abroad (in the USSR, in France or in Italy, for example) or is provided by foreign instructors under bilateral or international co-operation arrangements. 14. The scope of cultural policy is not delimited in the same way in each state. Whether such policy is applied by one government department or by several, however, five major responsibilities are likely to be assigned to it: preservation and effective presentation of the cultural heritage; aid for creative work and creative artists, and their training; artistic and cultural education and promotion work; management of cultural industries; cultural co-operation. 15. Concerns with respect to the cultural heritage obviously vary from one country to another; some have much cultural property, some relatively little, produced over varying periods of time in their history. In countries with long-standing civilizations, such cultural property constitutes both a 'sacred' and a costly heritage. Unesco has accordingly launched conservation programmes at the major sites of a number of countries. In most Member States, the work of looking after the various components of the national heritage-- whether they be material objects (buildings, sites, books, archives, films, objets d'art, etc.) or orally transmitted arts and traditions (music, songs, dances, tales, customs, etc.)--which involves presenting them to best advantage, in some cases seeking them out, and investigating them in detail, is in the hands of national and sometimes regional and local institutions such as museums, libraries, archives services, universities and research institutes, specialized groups concerned with music, drama, folklore, handicrafts, and so forth. There is generally appropriate legislation to protect sites and safeguard such property against theft, pillaging and illicit export. Unesco has played an important part in promoting such legislative action. The heavy cost of this conservation work is often borne by the state budget, or by certain foundations or out of specific funds.

8 (vii) 16. Aid for creative work and creative artists has not been developed to.the same extent in all countries, partly because the notion of 'artistic creation' has still to emerge in some developing countries. While the industrialized countries have all established a variety of systems of aid for artists, covering such items as social security (under a special scheme for artists or as part of the general system), financial assistance (fellowships or grants to enable them to work or to travel abroad, life annuities, assistance for the first play or exhibition), assistance in kind (rental of studios and workshops, free provision of equipment), the commissioning or purchase of works by the public authorities, prizes, and so on, the less advanced countries confine themselves to more collective measures with less individual impact, such as: subsidies to artists' and writers' unions; publication of literary works; organization of national or international exhibitions, and of festivals, public competitions and prizes; study grants for art students, etc. Furthermore, in nearly all the countries in the world, the role of the state, is to provide by law for the protection of literary and artistic property and to set up facilities for the training of creative artists by way of art institutes, opportunities to study abroad, the establishment of arts institutions for the training of actors, musicians, choreographers, dancers, and so forth. 17. Cultural education and promotion work are the core of any form of cultural action designed to cater for the people at large, as most Member States explicitly desire to do. Such cultural promotion work tends to take three forms, which are often complementary: Firstly, the promotion of literacy and school education, extended in many countries by adult education, with the use of audio-visual aids; aesthetic education is not everywhere included in such basic education but is making marked progress. Secondly, the work of arts institutions responsible for disseminating culture, which still too often cater only for educated audiences in major cities. They include theatres, operas, orchestras, dance companies, museums, libraries, cinemas and art galleries. A growing concern for democratization and decentralization of the arts is nevertheless to' be noted, and many countries have taken steps to make cultural facilities available over wider areas and to a greater variety of people, by establishing decentralized cultural clubs and cultural centres, rural community centres, festivals, travelling exhibitions, touring theatrical and musical performances, travelling cinemas, travelling libraries and museums, 'cultural caravans' and so on. The third factor conducive to cultural development among the people at large lies in the extension of socio-cultural promotion work which is designed, besides. spreading a knowledge of the arts and educating - people - - in them, to encourage personal creativity, active participation and the assumption of responsibility. For this purpose, the resources of the arts are used to foster individual and collective self-fulfilment by way of amateur groups, choirs, theatrical companies, use of radio and television, and local information, the chief target populations being certain groups in underdevelopment situations, such as country people, workers, women, cultural minorities, handicapped persons and the elderly. Various public but more especially private institutions assist in this socio-cultural promotion work, including youth centres, clubs for workers and farmers, co-operatives, schemes for students to work in the country, and children's centres. 18. An active system of cultural industries (production of books, records, cassettes and video-cassettes, the film industry, production of auditory and audio-visual receivers, radio and television systems) is principally a feature of the industrialized countries. In the socialist countries, such items are entirely state-controlled, while in the market-economy countries they fall within the private industrial sector, with the state shouldering only the

9 (Viii) radio and television sector (though there may also be private channels) and a sector pqblishing books and records of a high cultural standard, and providing support for high-quality or educational films. Some developing countries have established a state radio or television service, in some cases with the assistance of industrialized countries for the training of technicians and systems operation; are endeavouring to set up a national film industry; and have established state agencies for book-publication, for the press and for documentation purposes. 19. With regard to cultural co-operation, there is no country that does not attribute special importance to cultural exchanges, primarily by means of a number of bilateral and multilateral agreements conducive alike to an acquaintance with foreign cultures and to better knowledge of a country's own national culture by others. All countries, moreover, refer to Unesco's interest in this cultural co-operation and the importance of the part played by the Organization therein, and many are concerned with such,co-operation at the regional or subregional level through various organizations which may be either general (OAU for the African countries, the Arab League, OAS for some American countries, ASEAN for some Asian countries, the Council of Europe, etc. ) or specialized (ALECSO for the Arab countries, Inter-American Council for Education, Science and Culture, Andre's Bello Convention for the Andean States, African Cultural Institute, etc.). Emphasis is also placed on the importance of the work of non-governmental organizations specializing in museums, archives, libraries, theatre, music, cinema, radio and television, etc. For more practical purposes, such co-operation takes numerous forms including: exchanges of artists, exhibitions, films, shows, information and documentation; international festivals; establishment of cultural centres abroad; provision of experts and teachers; technical and financial assistance; co-production of films; training fellowships abroad; international congresses and conferences, etc TRENDS WITH REGARD TO CULTURAL POLICY 20. Is it legitimate, in the early 1980s, to speak of worldwide progress in cultural development? It is difficult to answer this question in the absence of any precise evaluation of the results of the policies applied in each country. The Mexico City Conference might launch research into ways of making cultural policies more effective in the difficult economic situation at present faced by all countries. Overall, it may be said that the need to implement a cultural policy is universally appreciated.and that more or less substantial resources, both structural and financial, have been made available for the purpose. But it must immediately be added that cultural development is dependent on the general economic situation and that any economic curbs or delays have a marked impact in the cultural field. The difficulty experienced by most developing countries in achieving their economic take-off is now compounded by the economic crisis which has been affecting all the industrialized countries for some years past. This dampening down of national budgets comes at a time when the need for cultural development is gaining general recognition and when the past action taken by states in the sphere of culture has brought about an unprecedented development of local micro-community measures to promote cultural life, coupled with increasing numbers of groups of amateur and professional artists, a growing desire to preserve the various components of the cultural heritage, increased decentralization of cultural activities, larger numbers of cultural installations and facilities, more and more public measures designed to improve the social status of the artist, increasing arts education for the people at large, more training of cultural workers, greater regard for the human environment, enhanced importance of cultural industries in people's

10 cultural life and increasing international cultural co-operation--all likewise on an unprecedented scale. 21. The situation in which those responsible for cultural policies in all states find themselves is consequently extremely difficult, since they are faced with increased demand in all sectors just when the means of meeting that demand are dramatically or seriously curtailed. It is no mere chance that the 'cultural dimension of development' is to be the keynote of the decade now beginning. This means not only that cultural projects must be worked into a difficult economic context but also that cultural projects must be directed to serving development and that the attitudes of those who lead and organize cultural life, who have probably paid too little heed to this necessity, must be changed. 22. All states need to try to look ahead in cultural matters if this daunting situation is to be overcome. It is important both to avoid disappointing the hopes nourished by cultural works with regard to the development of their sector, and to revise cultural policy objectives so as to fit them into the scheme of overall development. This implies changes in priorities, attitudes and administrative practices and an imaginative approach to cultural policies. This in turn necessitates reshaping a more consistent and integrated policy on the part of government departments, redeploying financial resources for culture towards priority sectors by means of real cultural 'town and country planning', designed to reduce inequalities as between town and country, large town and small town, educated subculture and popular subculture, cultural majority and cultural ethnic minorities, and so forth, making culture an area of job creation through training schemes, particularly for the young, making positive use of cultural industries for the purposes of the democratization of culture, and opposing a consumer culture in favour of a creative culture that will help everyone to find his or her place in the environment and to become an active agent of development. 23. The years ahead should be devoted, so far as culture is concerned, to four lines of priority action, to which international, regional, subregional and national organizations, whether governmental or non-governmental, should address their efforts for the following purposes: (a) To develop applied research on the dimensions of cultural development and ensure the training of the agents of such development. Only if competence and careful thought are given pride of place will it be possible to set cultural policies on a suitable course. (b) To accentuate the trend towards decentralization of cultural responsibilities to the people immediately concerned on the spot, and towards consultation and co-ordination among the various organizations in charge of culture. The French example of the Fonds d'intervention culturelle interministgriel (FIC) is interesting in more than one respect, since this agency allows of co-ordination among the various ministries responsible for particular aspects of cultural life (education, youth and sport, environment, agriculture, social affairs, etc.); co-operation with regional, departmental and local communities, with private organizations and with the different social constituencies concerned; the pooling of the funds available to all these parties for innovatory and experimental activities; and the seeking out of new resources or funding not otherwise in great demand. It is only through concerted action that the cultural dimension of development can in practice take shape, since it implies allowing for the interactions which exist between economic life and all the sectors of the life of society, including those which are most decisive for the welfare of the individual and of communities: education, scientific and technological research, social action, the environment, the media and cultural action.

11 (c) To achieve better planning of the available resources. This is the corollary to the preceding item, but it is not enough, in a period of crisis, to co-ordinate the resources of the various government departments; it is also important to make all their budgetary choices mutually consistent, with particular reference to those in charge of cultural development. When the resources available are limited, they must be allocated to priority tasks, particularly those making both for economic development and for cultural development. In an increasing number of countries, it is coming to be realized that the cultural sector can be a source of jobs and of economic wealth. Without going so far as to set culture a purely economic purpose, a distinction can be made between cultural activities which directly or indirectly encourage growth and those which are unproductive. The cultural sector may have a function in the training of individuals to fit them better for their lives as discriminating consumers and active citizens, instead of being regarded simply as a source of prestige or as satisfying minority needs. (d) To make use of the positive contributions of technological development (audio-visual facilities, information technology) for the purposes of the cultural advancement of the people at large. These four requirements provide a framework for the thinking which might be undertaken during the 1980s in all forums and at all levels.

12 CLT-82/MONDIACULT/REF.1/LAC - page LIST OF ENTRIES ARGENT I NA I. GENERAL DIRECTION OF CULTURAL POLICY The bases of cultural policy in Argentina are set out in the National Constitution, which makes provision or the development of cultural activities, establishing for example the right of all inhabitants to 'publish their ideas through the press without previous censorship, to teach afid to learn' (Article 14), the right of authors or inventors to own their works, inventions or discoveries (Article 171, and encouraging Eurcpean immigration.and free entry for all those whose aim is to 'improve industries and introduce aad teach the arts and sciences' (Article 25). Recently, the statute known as the Basic Document for National Reorganization has supplemented the Constitution, upholding the values of Christian morality, national tradition and the dignity of the Argentine individual, and adopting an educational policy for all classes and levels of society based on discipline and national and Christian standards. It is worth noting that a number of provincial Constitutions--more recent than the National Constitution, which was promulgated in include provisions having a direct bearing on the right to culture, whether by ensuring free access to it or by referring explicitly to the rights of creative thinkers and the right to freedom of information. 11. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES OF CULTURAL POLICY A. Public or semi-public bodies The public body with authority in educational, scientific and cultural matters is the Ministry of Culture and Education. Its work is carried out through three Secretariats of State, for Culture, Education, and Science and Technology. The Secretariat of State for Culture, which replaced the Under-Secretariat for Culture in 1973, is concerned with all matters related to the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage of the nation and to the protection, promotion and dissemination of the arts and other forms of cultural expression. The Secretariat of State for Culture has a centralized administration made up of two Directorates: the Directorate for Cultural Assistance and Promotion and the Directorate for Cultural Research. The function of the first of these is to direct cultural dissemination and promotion activities throughout the country, the supervision of assistance and aid to regional bodies, and participation in the various aspects of tourism, sport and recreation connected with the dissemination of culture. The second Directorate supervises research activities in all fields of culture, both organizing activities of its own and working in collaboration with other bodies. In addition to these, the centralized administration includes three services known as 'Complexes': The Libraries Complex consists of the National Library, the People's Library network, and the National Librarians School. Its function is to formulate policy and to organize the co-ordination and defence of Argentina's bibliographical heritage.

13 CLT-82/MONDIACULT/RF.l/MC - page 2 The Music Complex consists of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Polyphonic Choir and the Children's Choir,andthe National Orchestra for Argentine Music. The Theatre Complex, which contributes to the formulation of the various policies with which it is concerned, puts on performances for children and carries out research in its field of competence. It also operates the Teatro Nacional Cervantes. The decentralized administration of the Secretariat of State for Culture is made up of a number of bodies possessing relative independence. Among these are the Complex of Museums of Art and Science, which includes a. number of museums, notably the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Argentine Museum of Natural Science; the National History Museum CGmplex; las Ediciones Ca-lturales Argentinas (Argentine cultural publications); the Instituto Nacional Sanmartiniano, the object of which is to commemorate the Liberator; the National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Historic Sites; and lastly, the National Fund for the Arts (see attached chart). In addition to the structure just described, there are other state-run bodies which are concerned with both socio-educational and socio-cultural activities. One of these is the socio-cultural area of the Ministry of Social Welfare, which is concerned with policies relating to youth, sport and cultural tourism, in addition to the control and co-ordination of government grants for various kinds of cultural activities. Apart from the various responsibilities of other ministries (Interior, Justice, Economy and Labour) in the field of culture, it is important to note that the Ministry of Planning, established in 1976, also has certain functions in that area, and that one of its objectives is to propose a centralized cultural planning programme. Under the federal system of government in effect in the Argentine Republic, the provincial governments and the municipalities perform various functions connected with cultural policy and administration within their respective areas of authority. These functions are carried out by various bodies (secretariats, under-secretariats, directorates), many of which span regions larger than a single province: experience has shown it to be advisable for cultural regions to cover several provinces, for this makes it possible to establish co-ordination agencies able to harmonize and implement the cultural plans and programmes of the various provinces of the region. These bodies, in turn, are co-ordinated by the Federal Council for Cultural Coordination, which was established in The Council also evaluates the results achieved and suggests improvements to existing legislation. B. Non-governmental cultural institutions In the Argentine Republic there are a number of National Academies, These private associations are corporate entities which assume responsibility for various cultural activities. In order to perform their role, they receive annual grants and are tax-exempt. The most important of these academies are the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, the National Academy of History, the National Academy of Fine Arts, and the National Academy of Letters. Argentina also has a number of national committees which are affiliated to the main international non-governmental organizations, such as the International Theatre Institute or the International Music Council. The Inter-American Association of Music Critics, founded in 1873, has its headquarters in Buenos Aires. Lastly, we may note that the institutionalization of private patronage and thechannelling of funds from this source is effected through foundations, the functioning of which is governed by a special law.

14 111. PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTUWL HERITAGE CLT-82/MONDIACULT/REF,1/LAC page 3 The Argentine Republic has not been indifferent to the need to protect, preserve, and improve the presentation of the cultural and natural heritage, which constitute one of the functions of a modern state. Accordingly, the country has established comprehensive legislation, administrative structures, and facilities for the training of human resources, especially in the fields of museology and archives. The. law of 1940 setting up the National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Historic Sites established a register of cultural property, made provision for an appropriate system of expropriation in the public interest, and prescribed a special legal system for privately-owned cultural property, with reciprocal obligations on the part of the private owners and the state. IV. AID TO ARTISTIC AND LITERARY CREATION The provision of support for artistic and cultural creative work is one of the oldest functions of cultural policy in Argentina. Public patronage of the arts, through the awarding of pensions, prizes, scholarships and other benefits, is traditional in the country. Nevertheless, this concept is being replaced by the institution of cultural public service, in which the joint efforts of public and private institutions are combined for the purpose of fostering cultural development, and by recognition of the obligation incumbent on the state to ensure the full exercise of the individual's right to culture. The basic criterion of this new policy consists in taking into account the socio-cultural role of intellectual workers, determining the duties of the community towards them, and seeking to ensure that the greatest possible number of persons participate in cultural activities. With regard to the legal system of protection for intellectual property, it should be noted that the concept of 'intellectual property' includes, in Argentina, all forms of scientific, literary, artistic or educational workr regardless of the process of publication or reproduction involved, in addition to the work of performing artists. While there is no body of regulations providing social protection specifically for creative artists, a number of corporate entities such as the Argentine Society of Writers and the Argentine Association of Authors provide certain social benefits for their members. Furthermore, authors, artists and intellectuals who work on a freelance basis receive retirement benefits, pensions and allowances under the national social security system to which everyone is obliged to belong, State support for creative activities is also made available in the fo%m of monthly pensions for persons who win major awards such as the National Prizes for Science and Literature, Municipal Prizes, or the Nobel Prize in the fields of medicine, literature and peace. Lastly, the law providing that 1 per cent of the cost price of all public works executed in Buepos Aires Province shall. be devoted to creative artistic work may also be regarded as a form of support for artistic creation. VI. ARTS TEACHING Arts teaching, including all forms and techniques, is provided at all levels of national education: primary, secondary and higher.

15 CLT-82/MONDIACULT/REF.l/LAC - page 4 Specialized arts teaching, at the introductory, intermediate and advanced levels, is given in specialized institutions such as the National School of Drama, the National Conservatory of Music, and the National Schools of Fine Arts, Ceramics, Dance and Puppetry. In addition, there are over 15 non-specialized Arts Centres located in different provinces, a number of intermediate-level National Schools of Fine Arts, and six types of school-leaving certificate with emphasis on artistic subjects. IX. FINANCING AND PLANNING.OF CULTURE In 1958 the National Fund for the Arts was established for the purpose of providing stable financing for various aspects of cultural development, including both institutions and plans and programmes serving to initiate and promote such development. In view of the complete independence--financial, functional and administrative-- enjoyed by that body, it may be regarded as a National Bank of Culture, an institutional innovation unique to Argentina. The resources allocated to the Fund consist of an initial capital sum made available by the government and of the proceeds from various charges on the revenues of radio and television stations, admission tickets for the various types of performances, and the so-called 'betting pools' organized on sporting events. With these resources, the National Fund for the Arts provides financial support for the encouragement, development, safeguarding and reward of artistic and literary activities in the Argentine Republic and their dissemination abroad. More particularly, it provides financial support for the construction or acquisition of buildings to serve the purgoses of such activities (concert halls, laboratories, studios, etc.) or other cultural property (instruments, equipment, books, etc.); it also finances specific projects, including both individual and community projects. X. LEGISLATION AND RESEARCH IN TIB FIELD OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT The demarcation of the field covered by cultural legislation is relatively recent. With the exception of matters falling within the field of intellectual rights, Argentina has not escaped the difficulties ar.ising from the fact that this discipline is still in its infancy. The result is a lack of precise definition of the field and some chronological and thematic confusion. Furthermore, the multiplicity of authorities existing concurrently in the provinces and in the nation, in addition to the powers of the municipalities, inevitably leads to a multiplicity of legislative texts. However, far from constituting a difficulty, this has endowed the country with a rich heritage whose lack of organization does not alter the fact that there are legal provisions covering virtually the whole of the field. Argentina's cultural legislation, then, lays down a very comprehensive set of standards; nevertheless, it contains some gaps, notably in the fields of folklore, handicrafts, and the visual arts generally, which are not covered by specific basic legislation. To sum up, Argentina's cultural legislation may be said to cover the following fields : (a) The body of copyright laws, and laws concerning performing artists; laws for the protection of industrial models and designs; the system relating to payment for 'works in the public domain'. (b) The laws governing the public and private bodies concerned with cultural matters (Secretariat for Culture, National Fund for the Arts, National Academies, Foundations, etc.).

16 CLT-82/MONDIACULT/REF,1/LAC - page 5 (c) The laws concerning the cultural heritage: museums, monuments and historic sites; the national artistic heritage; the import and export of works of art; archives and historic documents; ruins and archaeological sites. (d) The body of laws concerning the defence, promotion, dissemination and develvpment of the various arts (theatre, books, cinema, radio and television). (e) The system of international conventions and treaties in the field of culture. XI. EXTERNAL CULTURAL POLICY The Ministry of Foreign and Religious Affairs is responsible for the dissemination abroad of information on Argentina, including its cultural life. It works through the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Chancellery. Argentina has concluded cultural agreements with some fifty countries; these make provision for such matters as exchanges of teachers, students, artists and intellectuals, the circulation of books, exhibitions, films, and so on. In general, these agreements are implemented through the appointment of joint commissions which establish working guidelines and programmes to be carried out by both parties. Regional co-operation in the field of culture takes place within the framework of the OAS. The Inter-American Council for Education, Science and Culture (CIECC) supports various multinational programmes, including that of the Inter-American Centre for the Training of Archivists, which has its headquarters in C6rdoba, Argentina. Multilateral co-operation in Argentina is governed by the statutes of the Argentine National Commission for Unesco. The International Documentation Centre has operated in the country since 1959, its objectives being to assemble, organize and preserve the publications and documents issued by the bodies which are included in the system of the United Nations and the OAS, and by the non-governmental entitles associated with those organizations.

17 CLT-82/MQNDIACULT/REF.l/LAC - page 6 BRAZIL I. GENERAL DIRECTION OF CULTURAL POLICY While Brazil's earliest legal institutions displayed some concern for edccation and culture, provisions expressly devoted to cultural activities appeared only in the 1934 Constitution. Article 10 of that Constitution, for example, provided that both the Union and the States were responsible for the protection of unspoilt natural sites and monuments of historic and artistic value, and for preventing the uncontrolled outflow of works of art. Subsequent Constitutions have, in general, contained similar provisions. In 1966 the Federal Council for Culture was established, and since that date Brazil has begun to develop a national cultural policy, the bases of which have consistently been universal access to culture, the strengthening of spontaneous individual or community initiatives in the field of culture, and a preference for quality over quantity. In accordance with these principles, the following guidelines have emerged: respect for regional differences in Brazilian culture: preservation and presentation of the artistic and historical heritage: encouragement for creativity in the various cultural sectors; support for professional training in the field of culture: encouragement for the media used for the dissemination of the various forms of culture; emphasis on the socio-cultural aspect of development. Brazil's policy for the promotion and defence of cultural property encourages the awareness and appropriate use of factors conduciveto nationalmity, in respect both of popular culture and of the integration of Brazilian culture with the great international cultural movements. From this standpoint, it is probable that the achievement of a satisfactory balance between cultural traditions and ecocomic changes depends upon the extension of the concept of the defence and preservation of the cultural heritage to the aspects 3f the environment and anthropological make-up of the communities involved. 11. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURFS OF CULTURAL POLICY A. Public and semi-public bodies The Ministry of Education and Culture is the central body responsible for the nation's overall cultural policy. The administrative reform of 1967 placed education, the teaching profession, literature and the arts, and the historic, scientific, cultural and artistic heritage within that Ministry's field of competence. The Ministry comprises the Federal Council for Culture, which i.s a standard-setting body, and two executive bodies, the Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Book Institute. The Federal Council for Culture has four departments: the Departments of Literature, the Arts, the Humanities, and the Historic and Artistic Heritage. It also has a Legislation and Standards Committee. The Council formulates the nation's

18 CLT-82/MONDIACULT/REF,1/LAC - Page 7 cultural policy and prepares the National Culture Plan, working in close collaboration with the Cultural Councils of the Federal States, Municipalities, Universities and various other cultural institutions with respect to specific programmes, such as the organization of exhibitions, congresses, and so on, It is also responsible for the dissemination of Brazilian culture abroad, supervising activities which are organized in various countries. The Department of Cultural Affairs co-ordinates and supervises activities connected with the preservation of cultural property. Its jurisdiction covers the National Library, which has three million catalogued volumes, the Antonio Torres Library, the National Historical Museum, the Museum of the Republic and the Imperial Museum, in addition to the Educational Broadcasting Service. The following may be described as associated bodies: the Rui Barbosa Foundation, an independent research centre in law and philosophy; the Joaquim Nabuco Institute, which is devoted to social research: the Joaquim Nabuco Museum of Anthropology and Popular Art are affiliated to the Institute; the Brazilian Film Corporation (EMBRAFILME), which is concerned with the joint production, acquisition and distribution of films; the National Art Foundati0.n (FUNARTE), whose functions are to develop, COordinate and execute programmes of action designed to encourage artistic creativity. Other public bodies with culture-related functions include: the Department of Intellectual, Scientific and Technological Co-operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Brazilian Institute of Education, Science and Culture; the National Archives, which not only preserves documents of cultural and historicd value, but also conducts research in its field; the Brazilian Educational Television Centre Foundation; the National Tourist Board. In the provinces, a substantial number of states have established Regional Councils for Culture. These, working in co-operation with the Federal Council for Culture, give effect to a decentralized cultural policy. Similarly, i-t should be noted that the number of regional cultural bodies includes the Federal Archives and municipal cultural centres. B. Non-governmental cultural institutions Brazil's cultural activity is also nourished through private organizations, among which the following may be noted: the Brazilian Historical and Geographical Institute, which was established in 1838 and is the oldest institution of its kind in the American continent. Its objectives are the collection, organization and publication of documents which are relevant to Brazilian history and geography;

19 CLT-82/MONDIACULT/REF.l/L7AC - page 8 the Brazilian Academy, which was established in 1896; the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, which was established in 1829; the Rio de Janeiro Museum of Modern Art, which is an international art centre open to all movements in the field of contemporary art; the 'Assis de Chateaubriand Art Museum' Foundation; the Social Records Centre, whose object is to preserve documents with a bearing on Brazilian history by means of modern reproduction techniques PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE The defence and preservation of Brazil's cultural heritage is the main objective of the Federal Council for Culture's Department of the Historic and Artistic Heritage, and it is set in the context of a policy emphasizing the dynamic approach to the preservation of traditional cultural property. IV. AID TO ARTISTIC AND LITERARY CREATION The National Art Foundation (FUNARTE), which was established in the 1970s, is responsible for the development, co-ordination and execution of the various activity programmes designed to encourage artistic creation. It carries out this task through the following bodies: the National Theatre Service, which is concerned with encouraging the development of the theatre by making technical assistance available to groups, companies, clubs and associations. The Service has a specialized museum and library ; the National Museum of Fine Arts, which acquires works by Brazilian artists; the National Book Institute, whose function is td encourage and support the production of Brazilian publishers; the National Artistic and Historic Heritage Institute. This body, in collaboration with Unesco, has developed town planning programmes designed to preserve sites of artistic and historic interest in the country. The Institute publishes a Review devoted to the national historical heritage. A major source of encouragement to creativity, and a means of disseminating awareness of works and their authors is the awarding of various yearly prizes, of which the following may be mentioned: the National Art Awards, which are distributed on the occasion of the annual Art Exhibition and the Modern Art Exhibition; the National Literature Awards, which are sponsored by the National Book Institute; the prizes of the Brazilian Academy, of which there are nine in all, and which are awarded for various literary genres;