The 12th Meeting of the Americas Chapter convened in San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, hosted by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture – ICP. Held from 23 to 25 October 2024, the gathering brought together National and Affiliate Members in a hybrid format both in-person and virtual, and included presentations by Dr Carlos R. Ruiz-Cortés, Director of ICP and Dr Maria Rosario Jackson, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (USA), as well as by the Ministry of Culture of Spain on developments for MONDIACULT 2025. The meeting was scheduled alongside the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies of the USA (NASAA) 2024 Assembly, also hosted by ICP in San Juan from 23 to 26 October 2024. The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture provided a vibrant and fully immersive cultural programme.
Dr Carlos R. Ruiz-Cortés affirmed that ‘for the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, it has been an honour to host the IFACCA Chapter of the Americas in our archipelago. By welcoming NASAA, a non-profit organization that represents 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies in the United States, along with cultural representatives from several Ibero-American countries that are members of IFACCA, we have facilitated a dialogue on cultural cooperation in the Americas. This meeting reaffirms our commitment to strengthening cultural relations and the diversity that enriches our region.’
The Americas Chapter meeting addressed regional, national and local priorities, as well as reflected on the international context and key events and actions that will shape the future of arts and culture such as the 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture in Seoul (27-30 May 2025), UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2025 in Barcelona (September 2025), and the recently adopted UN Summit of the Future's Pact for the Future.
Dr Jackson summarised that ‘Now, perhaps more than at any point in the past, there is a growing recognition of art, culture and creativity as social good. There is a more nuanced understanding of the myriad ways that the arts impact our economy, our physical environment, our civic institutions and infrastructure, our health and wellbeing, and our communities.’ She emphasised that ‘none of the things that we aspire to as societies of opportunity and justice are possible without the intentional integration of arts culture and design in our daily lives and the systems we rely on to care for each other.’