Adoption of the Convention
The General Conference adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in plenary on 17 October 2003 following a series of expert meetings in 2002 and 2003.
Entry into force
The Convention enter into force on 20 April 2006, three months after the ratification of the 30th State (Romania), and the first General Assembly took place on June 2006 for the election of the first Intergovernmental Committee.
Directives for its implementation
The General Assembly approves on 19 June 2008 a first version of the Operational Directives for the Implementation of the Convention which define, among others, the modalities for the inscription on the lists, the granting of financial assistance or the submission of periodic reports.
First inscriptions
In October 2009, the Committee proceeded with the first inscriptions on the Representative List and on the Urgent Safeguarding List.
First periodic reports
The first periodic reports by the States Parties highlight the challenges of the safeguarding at national level and the importance of strengthening the capacity of a multitude of actors to establish an effective framework for the viability of the intangible heritage.
A global impact
With some 150 States Parties to the Convention, 156 accredited NGOs in the field of intangible heritage and 77 trainers in support of the 66 first countries benefitting from the UNESCO global capacity-building strategy (English|French), the intangible heritage family is expanding and strengthening.
Tenth anniversary 2003-2013: Share your activities!
From its adoption in October 2003 until the submission of the first periodic reports in 2011 and 2012, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has achieved many milestones at both the international and national levels.
The tenth anniversary offers a wide range of actors the opportunity to make an initial assessment and to explore the key challenges, constraints and possibilities related to its implementation.
All stakeholders involved in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage are invited to share on this site the events and activities they organize to celebrate this anniversary. All activities can then be immediately consulted on a map, a calendar and a list in their original language.
Last activity announced
Regional Forum on ICH
15-07-2013, Augsburg (Germany)http://www.unesco.de/7762.html
Germany joins the ICH Convention in Spring 2013. This is one of up to six regional fora where groups and communities practicing intangible cultural heritage, other stakeholders and the general public will be informed about the Convention and its mechanisms. The objectives of the Convention, opportunities to participate in the implementation as well as the process of inventorying in Germany will be presented. Participation is free of charge.… Read moreSee all scheduled activities on a map, a calendar or a list.