Bill 616.

Summary.

The bill governs the organization, calls for applications, selection and execution of national and official pavilions through which the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) would participate in international arts, culture and humanities events. Its scope includes biennials, exhibitions, fairs and similar venues for official participation. It establishes transparency, equal opportunity, cultural plurality, probity, merit, administrative efficiency and accountability as guiding principles. The Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura) would coordinate pavilion representation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Panamá), subject to the legal powers of other public bodies.

The bill creates the Interinstitutional Committee for National and Official Pavilions (Comité Interinstitucional de Pabellones Nacionales y Oficiales) to organize calls and oversee selection procedures. It would include representatives of the Ministry of Culture, which would chair it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) and the Panama Tourism Authority (Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá), as well as two experts in art, culture or curatorship and two representatives of legally constituted cultural associations. Members would serve without remuneration for two (2) years, renewable once, and act independently and impartially under principles of transparency and objectivity. The experts and association representatives would be chosen through a public call based on qualifications and experience. The committee would approve the call rules, ensure transparency and accountability, appoint the jury and oversee compliance with the proposed law.

The pavilion would be selected through an open public call published in official and digital media. The procedure would include registration and applications, technical evaluation, shortlisting, presentation to the jury, final selection and an execution agreement. The jury would be an independent technical body of experienced arts, curatorial or cultural professionals selected through a public call applying criteria of qualifications, experience and absence of conflicts of interest. It would assess projects under the call rules and record its decisions in writing.

Applications would come from multidisciplinary teams that could include artists, curators, cultural managers and other necessary technical professionals. Panamanian and foreign participants with demonstrated experience could take part under the call rules. Assessment would consider artistic and conceptual quality, team experience, technical, exhibition and museum feasibility, and suitability to represent the country internationally. Each call would set the weight assigned to the criteria, balancing artistic and technical considerations and avoiding exclusionary provisions.

The State could allocate resources subject to budget availability and financial administration rules. An agreement with the competent body would set technical, administrative and financial obligations for the selected project. The Executive Branch would issue regulations within no more than six (6) months of promulgation, and the proposed law would take effect upon publication in the Official Gazette. The provisions concern the named public bodies, cultural associations, and the arts, curatorial, museum and cultural management sectors.