RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The sixth meeting of the Ibero-American Forum of Deputy Ministers of Culture, gathering top officials of its 17 country members, will take place for the first time during an edition of Rio2C, the mega creativity forum running this week in Rio de Janeiro.
Representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay will discuss public policies for the region’s creative sector.
Founded in 2024, the Ibero-American Forum of Deputy Ministers of Culture is a regional executive work group promoted by the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI). Its main objective is to develop cultural policies aimed at strengthening the creative economy in all its dimensions.
“This year, for the first time, we are bringing the Forum. It was an initiative of Brazil’s Ministry of Culture, which recognized the relevance of Rio2C and the opportunity of having the Forum meeting during our event,” said Rafael Lazarini, Rio2C’s founder.
Lazarini stressed the Forum is comprised of vice ministers and executive secretaries, because they are actually the ones who “roll up their sleeves and get the work done,” while ministers are mostly political figures.
“It will not be a political meeting, but a sector-focused one. The goal is truly to optimize integration among countries and the production of content,” he added.
Brazil’s Minister of Culture executive secretary Márcio Tavares will preside the meeting, as the hosting country currently holds the Forum’s temporary presidency.
“For the first time, we are bringing the Forum’s discussions into the largest creativity gathering in Latin America,” Tavares told Variety.
According to him, OEI and Fundação Itaú (the foundation of one the largest private banks in Brazil) will sign a cooperation agreement during the meeting. The agreement will be focused on structuring data and indicators that make it possible to measure the contribution of the creative industries to sustainable development.
Forum members will discuss in the meeting in Rio2C the renewal of the Ibero-American Cultural Charter, signed in 2006. The countries are due to approve in November the new version, Tavares said.
In addition, Tavares will present during the meeting Portuguese and Spanish-language courses to be offered by Brazil’s Ministry of Culture’s virtual school, Escola Solano Trindade de Cultura e Economia Criativa, to all Forum country members.
“This convergence between institutional public policy debate and the vibrancy of the creative market is unprecedented and of utmost importance to us. This is where we build bridges between the public and private sectors, seeking to further energize and strengthen the production chains of culture and the creative economy in the region,” Tavares said.