UNESCO participated in the Ibero-American Congress on Artistic and Cultural Education and Training — Arts for Peace

From May 13 to 15, 2026, UNESCO participated in the Ibero-American Congress on Education and Artistic and Cultural Training - Arts for Peace , held in Bogotá, Colombia. The event was convened by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge of Colombia and the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), with the support of UNESCO, SEGIB, and CAF, and aimed at strengthening the Ibero-American Network of Artistic and Cultural Education (RedArtes).

The Congress provided the ideal space to explore, through concrete experiences in Latin America, how artistic education projects linked to the UNESCO Sites Network can contribute to social cohesion and sustainable development, helping to build more just, inclusive, and peaceful societies.

As part of the Congress, UNESCO collaborated in organizing the experiential panel "Artistic and Cultural Education in UNESCO Territories: Lessons for a Social Transformation Agenda," where experiences were shared alongside prominent regional figures. Participants included Zelmy Domínguez (Mexico), an embroiderer from Yucatán with 27 years of experience in traditional Mayan embroidery by hand and machine; Rafael Da Silva Maximiniano (Brazil), National Director of Artistic Education and Training at the Ministry of Culture of Brazil; and Carlos Arturo Salas Guerrero (Colombia), principal of La Milagrosa Educational Institution in Getsemaní, Cartagena. The panel highlighted how projects linked to UNESCO sites can serve as engines of social transformation at the local level.

Enrique López-Hurtado, UNESCO Culture Specialist, emphasized the significance of the gathering: "This is a historic milestone in the region. From UNESCO we want to congratulate, recognize, and highlight Colombia's leadership in building a path of Ibero-American integration through art and culture, putting into practice what many of us theorize as cultural diplomacy."

In this space, UNESCO also presented a record of 18 artistic and cultural education experiences in Ibero-America, promoted through its various regional offices, as evidence of the scope and diversity of initiatives that, through the arts, contribute to peace and social cohesion in the region.

In the same vein, UNESCO also moderated the high-level dialogue "Ibero-America and Cultural Leadership in the Global Debate: Artistic Education, Dignification of Cultural Work, and Culture for Peace," a strategic reflection on the role of the region in shaping contemporary cultural agendas. Participants included Yannai Kadamani Fonrodona, Minister of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge of Colombia; Jordi Martí Grau, Secretary of State for Culture of Spain; and Raphael Callou, Director General of Culture of the OEI. The conversation highlighted Spain's growing role in recent years as a convener of major international cultural discussions, as well as its position as current Pro Tempore Presidency of the Ibero-American system and host country of the upcoming 2026 Ibero-American Summit.

In line with this vision, Colombia shared the experience it has been consolidating through its Ministry regarding artistic education as a structural public policy, the dignification and social protection of artistic work, and culture as a tool for building peace, social cohesion, and democratic citizenship.

The Congress projected a shared vision of Ibero-America as a region capable of providing responses, cooperation frameworks, and political leadership to contemporary challenges facing the cultural sector at the international level.