Bill 179.

Summary.

The bill designates August 9 each year as the Day of the International Paruma Fair and Indigenous Peoples of the Province of Darién, commemorating Panamanian Indigenous culture and the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It creates the Board of the International Paruma Fair and Indigenous Peoples (Patronato de la Feria Internacional de la Paruma y Pueblos Originarios) as an autonomous entity with legal personality, its own assets and administrative autonomy. Its main office would be in the province of Darién, with authority to open offices elsewhere. It would organize the annual fair and cultural, educational and economic activities aimed at the region’s development.

The Board would operate under the supervision and coordination of the Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura), supported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias), the Ministry of Environment (Ministerio de Ambiente) and the Panama Tourism Authority (Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá). Its members would include representatives of each Indigenous people recognized in Darién, the Municipal Council of Darién (Consejo Municipal de Darién), the Darién Tourism Chamber and the public bodies concerned. Members would serve three-year terms and could be reelected once. The Board would coordinate the fair, promote culture, fair trade and sustainable tourism, ensure transparent use of resources, develop cooperation agreements and propose public policies benefiting Indigenous peoples.

State contributions, domestic and international donations, and fair revenue would make up its assets. The bill provides tax exemptions for its activities and property and customs-duty exemptions for goods and materials intended for the fair, subject to applicable regulations. A Governing Board (Junta Directiva) with five officers elected for three years would direct the entity; an Executive Director would carry out approved projects. The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (Contraloría General de la República) would audit its funds. The Board would have 90 days after promulgation to prepare its internal regulations.

Fair activities would follow environmental sustainability principles and avoid ecological harm in Darién’s protected areas. The Board would promote recycling, biodegradable materials, reforestation and environmental education workshops. It would ensure meaningful Indigenous community representation in decisions, provide economic, technical and cultural capacity-building workshops, and encourage Indigenous women and young people to organize and lead the event. A Special Fund would finance only the fair’s organization and promotion and activities related to Darién’s Indigenous culture. Its resources would be subject to transparency and accountability requirements. An economic, social and cultural impact report would be submitted every three years.

The consultation provision requires accessible information in the relevant Indigenous languages, consultation before final decisions, participation opportunities with interpreters and decisions based on community consent. It provides for resolving disagreements, documenting agreements and allowing communities to withdraw consent. The bill would concern Indigenous communities, environmental organizations, and the tourism, commerce and cultural sectors. It also assigns roles to the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Environment, the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) and the other participating bodies. Its final provision sets commencement upon promulgation.