The Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) of Panama, in collaboration with the Network of Museums and Visitors of Panama, will conduct a survey over the next three months, starting January 15, of sites dedicated to the dissemination and conservation of heritage. This was announced by Minister of Culture María Eugenia Herrera. She stated that this project represents an investment of $50,000. The objective is to create a single registry that will strengthen the National Plan of Cultures and the Cultural Information System of Panama (Sicultura) in collaboration with the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). This, in turn, will contribute to the reinforcement of the social fabric and cultural rights. "What is not faced persists, and state museums have been in clear decline," Herrera said, reiterating that with this administrative tool, the long-awaited maintenance of the museums will be achieved, a process that requires data to justify the budget before the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). Based on the survey data, the National Registry of Museums will be created, an instrument that will allow knowing the status and location of the museums, and will also be a tool for making administrative decisions, public policies, and research. Adriana Sautu, president of the board of the Network of Museums and Visitors of Panama, added that the official list of museum institutions will be registered and formalized as such. Information will also be collected from museum spaces that may not meet the requirements to be recognized as museums but are contributing to the country and deserve recognition. The fundamental basis of the instrument to be used in Panama is the Ibero-American Museums Registry (RMI) of Ibermuseos, and it has been given in accordance with the data required by local law. "There will be a core group that are those that can be considered museums by law," she explained. It is expected that by May, a report of the survey will be available with the participation of a minimum of 50 museums.
Panama to Create National Registry of Museums
Panama's Ministry of Culture launches a major project to create a National Registry of Museums. Over the next three months, a survey of institutions will be conducted to gather data needed to strengthen cultural policy, secure funding, and preserve the country's heritage.
