ICH Information session for the members of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 25 October 2010, Room II 3 to 6 p.m.

ICH 132 States have ratified the Convention, and 128 of them will be States Parties at the time of the fifth session in Nairobi in November

ICH Purposes of the Convention Article 1: To safeguard the intangible cultural heritage To ensure respect for the intangible cultural heritage of the communities, groups and individuals concerned To raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, and of ensuring mutual appreciation thereof To provide for international cooperation and assistance

ICH … how can those purposes be achieved at national level? Identify and safeguard ICH Adopt a general policy One or more competent bodies Scientific research, education and raising awareness Periodic report on measures taken for the ICH present in their territories Involve communities, groups and individuals (Article 15)

ICH List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding (Article 17) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Article 16) Programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the objectives of the Convention (Article 18) International assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund (Articles 19-28) … and at international level?

ICH Organs of the Convention The Convention establishes three statutory organs:  General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention  Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage  Secretariat

ICH The General Assembly  The sovereign body of the Convention  Composed of all States having ratified the Convention  Establishes general policies, adopts Operational Directives  Accredits NGOs to provide services to the Committee  Approves biennial budget (Plan for the use of the resources of the Fund)  Elects Committee Members  Meets biennially, in June of even-numbered years

ICH Intergovernmental Committee  24 States Members, elected by General Assembly respecting principle of equitable geographic representation  States Members choose as their representatives persons qualified in the various fields of the ICH  Responsible for ongoing implementation of the Convention’s mechanisms for international cooperation  Meets annually in November

ICH The UNESCO Secretariat  Assists the General Assembly and Committee in their work  Prepares the working documents of Assembly and Committee  Draws up draft agenda of their meetings  Ensures the implementation of their decisions With Regular Programme, Complementary Additional Programme and Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund:  Serves all Member States of UNESCO  Promotes ratification of the Convention  Global strategy of strengthening capacities of Member States

ICH Operational Directives  Requested by General Assembly, prepared and submitted by Committee, adopted by General Assembly  First Directives adopted in June 2008  Current Directives adopted in June 2010  Govern all aspects of the implementation of the Convention at the international level  Also provide guidance to States Parties for implementation at the national level

ICH Committee Group IGroup IV Cyprus China Italy Indonesia Spain Iran (Islamic Republic of) Japan Group II Republic of Korea Albania Azerbaijan Group V(a) Croatia Burkina Faso Czech Republic Kenya Madagascar Group IIINiger Cuba Grenada Group V(b) Nicaragua Jordan Paraguay Morocco Venezuela(Bolivarian Oman Republic of)

ICH Functions of the Committee  Promotes the objectives of the Convention  Prepares the Operational Directives for the implementation of the Convention  Uses the Fund for international cooperation  Inscribes on the three Lists of the Convention  Recommends accreditation of NGOs

ICH Meetings of the Committee  The Committee meets at least once a year in ordinary session  The Committee shall meet in extraordinary session at the request of at least two-thirds of the States  Since 2006, the Committee met in four ordinary sessions and three extraordinary sessions  Meetings open to observers from States Parties, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, etc.

ICH Working methods of the Committee  Governed by Rules of Procedure of the Committee, adopted in November 2006, amended in February and November 2008  Work of Committee facilitated by its Bureau  Committee may establish ad hoc consultative bodies, subsidiary bodies or working groups  Committee meetings are public except under specific circumstances

ICH Bureau of the Committee  Chairperson and Rapporteur (chosen in personal capacity)  Four Vice-Chairpersons (States Members)  Selected in conformity with the principle of equitable geographical representation  Coordinates the work of the Committee  Fix the date, times and order of business of meetings  Other tasks assigned by Operational Directives or delegated by Committee (IA up to 25,000, prep. ass.)

ICH Agenda of sessions of the Committee Ordinary sessions:  all questions the Committee has decided to inscribe at its previous session,  all questions proposed by States Members of the Committee  all questions proposed by States Parties and the Director-General Extraordinary sessions:  only those questions for which the session has been convened

ICH Order of debate within the Committee  Only speakers recognized by Chairperson  General debate –Priority to Committee Members, then States Parties –Chair may recognize States non party, IGOs, NGOs, etc. if time allows  Adoption of decisions –Only Committee Members may intervene  State may not advocate inclusion on the lists of an element nominated by that State or endorse its own request for international assistance

ICH Decision-making by the Committee  Each State Member of the Committee has one vote in the Committee  Decisions usually by consensus, rarely by hand and more rarely by roll call  Decisions are taken by a simple majority (13 votes)  Some decisions require a two-thirds majority (16 votes): –Amendment of the Rules of Procedure –Convening an extraordinary session of the Committee

ICH Bodies created by the Committee  Consultative Body to examine nominations to Urgent Safeguarding List, proposals to Register of Best Practices, and requests for International Assistance greater than US$25,000  Subsidiary Body to examine nominations to Representative List  Bureau to examine requests for International Assistance up to US$25,000, including preparatory assistance + emergency assistance  Working groups or expert groups, as needed

ICH Consultative Body  Twelve members, selected by Committee respecting principle of equitable geographic representation:  Six members from accredited NGOs  Six experts serving in their personal capacity  Examines nominations to USL, proposals of best practices and requests of international assistance and offers its recommendations to the Committee  First Consultative Body to be established at fifth session in Nairobi

ICH Subsidiary Body  Six States Members, selected by Committee respecting principle of equitable geographic representation  First Subsidiary Body served from 2008 to 2010; examined 165 nominations in two years  Offers its recommendations to the Committee to inscribe, not to inscribe, or to refer the nomination to submitting State for additional information

ICH Bureau of the Committee  Six States Members, selected by Committee respecting principle of equitable geographic representation  Evaluates requests for International Assistance up to US$25,000 (including requests for preparatory assistance)  Evaluates emergency requests for International Assistance greater than US$25,000  Receives alerts to possible cases of extreme urgency and may invite State(s) Party(ies) concerned to submit a USL nomination  Approves specific activities under ‘other functions of the Committee’, within ICH Fund budget

ICH Nominations, examinations and evaluations  States Parties, and only States Parties, may submit nominations, proposals or requests  Examination (by Consultative Body or Subsidiary Body, formerly by designated experts) results in a recommendation to the Committee  Evaluation (by Committee or Bureau) is the decision to inscribe the element on the Lists, grant the requested international assistance, or select the proposed programme for promotion as a best practice

ICH Urgent Safeguarding List and International Assistance  Fifth session of the Committee will receive recommendations from examiners that were designated to provide their independent examinations under the procedure formerly in place –Examiners not always familiar with Convention –Challenges to ensure shared understandings  Fifth session will establish the first Consultative Body that will carry out future examinations and offer its recommendations to sixth session

ICH Representative List examination and evaluation  Fifth session will receive recommendations on 47 nominations, of which 46 are positive and one is negative  Important point on 5.COM agenda will be the establishment of the next Subsidiary Body, determination of the nominations it is to examine, and discussion of its methods of work

ICH Working documents of the Committee  Working documents that request a decision by the Committee are the main series of documents prepared by the Secretariat  Information documents (INF) do not require any decision by the Committee but are provided for its information  Documents are numbered according to the points on the preliminary agenda of the Committee, so INF documents correspond to specific points  Nominations, proposals and requests are also available to the Committee through the website

ICH Intangible Cultural Heritage website The website of the Convention is the place to find:  Working documents  Information documents  Nominations, proposals, and requests, as submitted  Convention texts in six official languages and more than 25 other languages  Operational Directives in six official languages  Information on meetings, projects, activities undertaken by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Section or by Member States, NGOs, etc.

ICH Agenda of the fifth session of the Committee  5.COM agenda and timetable