Darío López, a mud mask artisan, works together with his granddaughter. Parita, Herrera © MICI, 2015

Category 2 institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO (C2Cs) are established and funded by Member States to contribute to the achievement of UNESCO’s objectives. Each centre has a specialized field of activity and set of functions in order to accomplish those shared objectives. To this date, there are eight centres devoted to intangible cultural heritage, including the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL). Nicaragua and Panama have recently joined the list of the participating countries, which has now reached 18 in the region. UNESCO is pleased to see that intangible cultural heritage fosters collaboration and exchange in the region. CRESPIAL has hosted many regional workshops and conferences. Its social media platforms also gather information and updates on events related to safeguarding of living heritage taking place in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region.

Panama ratified the 2003 Convention in 2004 and Nicaragua in 2006, and their CRESPIAL membership will certainly strengthen the relationship between the communities in the region and foster an exchange of knowledge amongst bearers and stakeholders.

UNESCO congratulates Nicaragua and Panama on this step forward and is encouraged by the positive outputs of this ongoing regional dialogue around living heritage.