Second session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Representatives of the 24 States Parties that make up the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will hold their second ordinary session in Tokyo from 3 to 7 September at the invitation of the Government of Japan*. During its meeting, the Committee will continue working on the directives for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage, which entered into force in April 2006.

The Committee will work on the procedures for inscriptions on the two lists foreseen by the Convention: the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. It will also define the modalities for granting assistance to help States Parties to safeguard their heritage and to prepare the nomination of intangible heritage elements for inscription on the two lists.
During this session, the Committee will also discuss the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to be accredited by the General Assembly of States Parties to provide advisory assistance in implementing the Convention, and set the procedures and criteria for the selection of good examples of safeguarding projects and programmes, as stipulated in Article 18 of the Convention.
Ratified by 79 countries to date, the Convention, which was adopted by UNESCO in 2003, aims at safeguarding, inter alia, oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of intangible cultural heritage; performing arts; social practices, rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices relating to nature and the universe; and know-how linked to traditional crafts.
“This Convention,” the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura said, “is a vital part of efforts to address the cultural challenges of globalization. It can help communities respond to the pressures globalization is placing on cultural diversity, especially in its local, indigenous and living forms. It also offers a response to the challenge of the increasing multiculturalism of today’s societies. Promoting respect for intangible heritage is one way in which societies can generate social harmony. It can signal a desire for mutual understanding, a way of engaging with cultural differences. I hope that intangible heritage will soon enjoy a level of international commitment and support comparable to that awarded to tangible heritage.”
The Director-General will address the opening session of the conference, which starts at 10 a.m., along with the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Sciences and Technology and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A press conference will be held at the same venue, Plaza HEISEI - Tokyo International Exchange Center, on Friday, the final day of the Committee meeting.

• 27-08-2007