Recent events in the life of the Convention:

1
Recent events in the life of the Convention the
third session of the General Assembly
Cécile Duvelle Secretary of the Convention for
the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage and Chief of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage Section UNESCO
Regional consultation among category 2 centres,
Bangkok 19 July 2010
2
The General Assemblyof the States Parties

• Third General Assembly took place at UNESCO
  Headquarters from 22 to 24 June 2010
• Sovereign body of the Convention
• Meets every two years and gives strategic
  orientations for its implementation

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Major issues at the third session of the Assembly

• Adoption of new chapters of the Operational
  Directives
• Revision of parts of the Directives adopted in
  2008
• Adoption of the budget for 2010-2011
• Emphasized strengthening capacities of States
  Parties
• Recognized importance of enhancing capacity of
  the Secretariat

4
Experience of the Convention since 2008

• Great interest in the Representative List (111
  nominations for first cycle 147 for the second)
• Less interest in the Urgent Safeguarding List (12
  nominations for first cycle, 5 for the second and
  34 for the third) and the Register of Best
  Practices (3 proposals for the first cycle and 15
  for the second cycle )
• Low number and weak quality of International
  Assistance requests

5
Experience of the Convention since 2008

• 2008 Operational Directives established
  procedures that have proven, in practice, to be
  cumbersome
• Different procedures produced results that were
  not always mutually coherent from one List to
  another
• Complicated calendar with its different deadlines
  and rhythms of examination is confusing for
  submitting States

6
Revised Directives proposed by working group

• Paragraphs rearranged in a more logical,
  consistent and harmonized manner
• Editorial improvements for ease of use
• Removal of repetitions e.g. merging of all
  procedures into a single timetable

Revised directives
7
Consultative Body for examinations

• New paragraph 26 applies to nominations to the
  Urgent Safeguarding List, International
  Assistance requests greater than US25,000 and
  proposals for the Register of Best Practices
• Body composed of six accredited NGOs and six
  independent experts, with half of its members
  renewed annually

Revised directives
8
Representative List nomination and examination

• Simplification of the nomination form for the
  Representative List
• Services of the Secretariat limited to technical
  requests
• Suggested revisions in working methods of the
  Subsidiary Body to permit it to examine a greater
  number of nominations
• New paragraph 30
• Referral of incomplete files to submitting States
  for additional information

Revised directives
9
Consolidated timetable for most procedures

• Revised section I.15 Timetable
• Single date of submission for all files March 31
• Secretariat processes files until June 30
• States complete files until September 30
• Examination by relevant body from December to
  May (meetings April or May)
• Committee meeting November

Revised directives
10
New Directives proposed by the Committee

• Three new chapters, as requested by second
  General Assembly
• Means to increase the resources of the Intangible
  Cultural Heritage Fund
• Raising awareness concerning intangible cultural
  heritage
• Use of the emblem of the Convention

New directives
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Means to increase the resources of the Fund

• New Chapter II.2
• II.2.I. (paragraphs 68 to 71) different
  categories of donors
• II.2.2 (paragraphs 72 to 75) conditions
  applicable to all donations
• II.2.3 (paragraphs 76 to 78) benefits for donors
  and donor recognition

New directives
12
Raising awareness of ICH and its importance

• New Chapter IV.1
• Based on inputs from large number of States
  Parties
• IV.1.1 (paragraphs 100 to 102) general
  provisions principles to be respected by all
  actors in awareness-raising activities
• IV.1.2 (paragraphs 103 to 118) awareness raising
  actions to be taken at local and national levels

New directives
13
Raising awareness of ICH and its importance

• Two paragraphs (116 and 117) concern commercial
  activities related to intangible heritage
• Paragraphs 118 to 123 concern international
  actions
• Category 2 centres have an important role in
  awareness-raising actions, extending UNESCO's
  reach through their complementary efforts

New directives
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Use of the emblem of the Convention

• New chapter IV.2 (paragraphs 124-150)
• Emblem as shown on the upper left corner of each
  slide
• To be used always alongside the logo of UNESCO
• Directives for the use of the emblem are as
  consistent as possible with the guidelines
  approved by the General Conference for the UNESCO
  logo

New directives
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Chapters unchangedfrom 2008 Directives

• Chapter II.1 on the use of the resources of the
  Fund
• Chapter III on participation in the
  implementation of the Convention
• Chapter V on periodic reports by States Parties
  to the Committee

Unchanged chapters
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Use of the resources of the Intangible Heritage
Fund

• GA adopted budget for 2010-2011, approximately
  US4.7 million
• 18 of resources for Committee's
  capacity-building and awareness-raising
  activities
• Aim is to better equip States Parties to
  implement the Convention and benefit from its
  international cooperation mechanisms

Other issues addressed by the Assembly
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Human capacities of the Secretariat

• The Assembly acknowledged the need to enhance the
  human capacities of the Secretariat on a lasting
  basis
• Created a subfund within the ICH Fund for
  dedicated contributions
• Recognized that funds are needed in the amount of
  approximately US1.1 million per year

Other issues addressed by the Assembly
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Tenth anniversary of the Convention in 2013

• 2003-2013
• The Committee is invited to submit for the
  consideration of the fourth session of the
  General Assembly in June 2012 a programme and
  schedule for this celebration

Other issues addressed by the Assembly
19
Intangible Cultural Heritage UNESCO 1, rue
Miollis75732 Paris Cedex 15France Cécile
Duvelle c.duvelle_at_unesco.org www.unesco.org/cul
ture/ich