With the purpose of presenting the objectives, functions and the 2023 Work Plan of the Category 2 Center located in Zacatecas, updating the directory of Managers and Focal Points of the world heritage sites of the subregion, as well as generating a space for dialogue for the design of future collaborations, the IRPMZ carried out a series of regional meetings in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, between the months of February and March in both face-to-face and virtual and mixed modalities.

 

 

The working sessions, a total of 7, in which more than 90 Managers, Focal Points and authorities related to World Heritage from Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic participated, were approved by the Board of Directors of the IRPMZ as part of the 2023 Work Plan of this Category 2 Centre (CC2) that operates under the auspices of UNESCO.

 

 

 

As part of the results of the presentation of the 28 training, dissemination and documentation activities that the IRPMZ plans for 2023, the intention of nine countries to participate in the course “World Heritage Management: People Nature Culture” (PNC23 LAC), organized by the IRPMZ in collaboration with ICCROM, IUCN, the Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea and the Latin America and Caribbean Unit of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, was confirmed; in the “Second International Colloquium on Cultural Routes”, organized in collaboration with the National Institute of Anthropology and History; in the “Meeting of Historic World Heritage Cities of the subregion of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean” as well as in the Podcast Miniseries that is being projected in conjunction with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Category 2 Lucio Costa Centre of Brazil.

 

 

Furthermore, the interest shown by some representatives in the issue of illicit trafficking of cultural property generated the opportunity for the IRPMZ to manage the inclusion of three countries of the subregion in the training course: “Blue Helmets for Culture, Cultural Heritage in case of catastrophes: risks and security interventions” organized by the International Italo-Latin American Organization - IILA, ​​with the support of the TPC Command of the Italian Carabinieri, the experts of the Italian Ministry of Culture / Blue Helmets of Culture and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which will take place in early June in Mexico.

 

The meetings also served to strengthen ties with World Heritage stakeholders in the subregion and reinforce the leadership of IRPMZ, as the representative of Zacatecas and Mexico. They provided an opportunity to learn about the most pressing problems and needs of World Heritage sites in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, as well as to update the directories of those responsible for this work in the area. These resources will be a fundamental tool for CC2 activities to have a broader regional impact.

 

 

Finally, other significant results, derived particularly from the working session held with Anne Lemaistre, director of the Regional Office of Culture for Latin America and the Caribbean, located in Havana, Cuba, were the projection of two events to be carried out jointly with this Office for 2024-2025, and the commitment acquired between both entities to exchange key information and strengthen the dissemination of mutual work.

 

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