This meeting aims to initiate an in-depth reflection on the working mechanisms of the 2003 Convention, following the first cycle of its implementation.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, meeting in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) during its 4th session from 28 September to 2 October 2009, noted an imbalance between the three Lists of the Convention – with a pronounced interest in favour of the Representative List, and very little interest in the Urgent Safeguarding List or the Register for Good Practices (Article 18), mechanisms nevertheless central to the Convention. The Subsidiary Body, responsible for examining the nominations to the Representative List, underlined that its workload was very heavy and proposed amendments to the Operational Directives so as to have a more manageable workload in the future.

The Committee considered it important and urgent to find appropriate solutions so that the General Assembly at its meeting in June 2010 could approve them. To this end an intergovernmental working group, open to all States Parties, was created to reflect upon improvements that could be brought about, based on the experience of the first cycle of implementation, and to present a report of its conclusions to the Assembly.

Following its first meeting in Abu Dhabi, two other meetings of the intergovernmental working group are foreseen on 21 May and 21 June 2010 respectively. The expert meeting on 15 March is convened to prepare the debates for this intergovernmental working group.

Report

• Report and summary records: English|French

Documents

• Agenda
  ITH/10/EM1/1 Rev.: English|French
• List of participants
  ITH/10/EM1/2 Rev.2: English/French
• Report of the Rapporteur of the Subsidiary Body charged with examining nominations to the Representative List
  ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.6: English|French
• Excerpts of the draft summary records of the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Committee (28 September to 2 October 2009, Abu Dhabi)
  ITH/10/EM1/3 (Rev. in English / en anglais): English|French
• Decision 4.COM 19 - Revisions of the Operational Directives
  ITH/10/EM1/4 Rev.: English|French
• Legal opinion on certain measures regarding the examination of nominations to the Representative List of Article 16 of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
  ITH/10/EM1/5 Rev.: English|French
• Excerpts of discussions and documents leading to the elaboration of the 2003 Convention and its Operational Directives concerning the nature of the intangible cultural heritage lists
  ITH/10/EM1/6 Rev.: English|French
• Discussions during the governance meetings of the World Heritage Convention concerning the management of nominations to the World Heritage List
  ITH/10/EM1/7 Rev.: English|French

Participants related their experiences on the management of the implementation of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in view of the entry into force of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in April 2006. The working sessions focussed on:

• Legislative initiatives for the safeguarding of intangible heritage;
• Ways of involving practitioners and communities in safeguarding projects;
• Experiences in encouraging the transmission of intangible cultural heritage;
• Creation of institutions and inventories devoted to intangible cultural heritage.

Albanian folk iso-polyphony

© Vasil S.Tole

Derived from Byzantine church music, Albanian Iso-polyphony is a sophisticated form of group singing, performed mostly by men. The rise of cultural tourism and the growing interest of researchers are contributing to the revival of this unique folk tradition.

This project contributes to the safeguarding of Albanian iso-polyphony, focusing especially on its transmission of to the younger generation.

The project’s main activity is establishing traditional iso-polyphony chambers (Oda) in four locations of Southern Albania, where masters of iso-polyphony will teach their skills to young students. Other activities include creating a register, an electronic database and a print catalogue of outstanding performers of Albanian folk iso-polyphony, delivering training to cultural workers and producing the first issues of the Iso-Polyphony Journal.

The project is intended to enhance the prestige and create a more favourable social context for the practitioners of this tradition, and to stimulate a renewed interest in iso-polyphonic music among Albanian youth.

Tar master class

© UNESCO / Azerbaijan National Commission for UNESCO

Like the Mugham sung elsewhere in the region, the Azerbaijani Mugham is characterized by a high degree of improvisation in singing and playing. Today, master practitioners train students in the fine art of interpretation to ensure the variety of this artistic expression.

The project seeks to give an incentive to the transmission of skills and knowledge to the younger generations and to promote of the value of this living tradition among the Azerbaijani community at large, and to raise awareness of the importance of the Mugam’s safeguarding. The project focuses on:

• training of young performers and support to Masters,
• public performances,
• documentation, archive preservation and training, and (inventory) promotion and awareness raising.

The activities include in particular four series of master classes organized in major towns of Azerbaijan’s provinces, following which a summer school will be organised in Baku. In the capital, a series of concerts are organised in various locations of Icheri Sheher, Baku’s Old Town in order to help re-establish such Mugam performances in a small and intimate setting. In addition, support will be provided to the National Archives for the digitisation of old recordings which date back to as far as the beginning of the 20th century. These activities aim at ensuring the viability of the Mugam by addressing both practitioners and the audience, and at enhancing the capacities relating to documentation and archiving.

Duduk and its music

© Samvel Amirkhanyan

An Armenian oboe, the Duduk accompanies popular songs and dances and is played at social events such as weddings, anniversaries and funerals. The Armenian Duduk is distinctive in construction and performance technique and characterized by a warm and soft timbre.

The project aims to safeguard traditional duduk music in the difficult modern social, cultural and political context in Armenia. The main components of the project are: (i) training and transmission of skills and know-how; (ii) documentation and inventorying; and (iii) public awareness-raising. The planned activities include organizing master classes in a number of provincial schools, publishing a Practical manual for players, makers, and students of the duduk, compiling an Inventory of the Armenian Duduk Tradition and organizing open-air concerts. The project is intended to improve the context in which the main bearers of the tradition – the duduk players – evolve, and to give rise to a renewed interest in duduk music among the Armenian public.

Related document:

• Summary description of the project (English)

Shashmaqom music

© UNESCO

Le projet prévoit la production de documents audiovisuels (sous forme numérique) sur le shashmaqom par une équipe de spécialistes, de scientifiques et de musicologues dans les deux pays, la publication d’études scientifiques, l’organisation conjointe par les deux pays de conférences, d’expositions et de festivals et une aide aux facteurs reconnus d’instruments de musique. Des cours publics seront en outre organisés dans les deux pays pour assurer la transmission des techniques vocales et instrumentales traditionnelles.
Les résultats escomptés à la fin du projet sont les suivants: renforcement des compétences locales dans le domaine de la recherche, de l’enregistrement et de la production de documents audiovisuels; mise en place à l’échelle locale, nationale et internationale de réseaux de spécialistes, de musiciens et d’institutions s’intéressant au shashmaqom et à d’autres formes de maqoms, et promotion de relations durables dans ce domaine.

Georgian polyphonic singing

© Research Center of Traditional Poliphony

Polyphonic singing is a popular tradition that used to pervade all areas of everyday life in Georgia, ranging from field work to songs for curing illnesses and Christmas carols. There are three types of polyphony in Georgia, each performed in a different region.

The project enabled not only the promotion of research and documentation on traditional polyphony, but also its transmission to younger generations. The Research Centre on Traditional Polyphony (RCTP) produced a number of publications, organized training courses for collectors, teachers and students of polyphony and created an audio-visual inventory of traditional Georgian polyphony. An international symposium under the patronage of the president of the Republic was held to raise awareness of Georgian traditional polyphony both inside and outside the country. It also helped to develop exchange and cooperation with various international organizations, institutes, associations and universities studying folk music.

To date, seven Youth Folk Song Centres have been established in different Georgian provinces. At each of these centres, an elderly master ensures the transmission of the local polyphonic tradition to about ten young people for each Centre.

Related document:

• Summary description of the project (English)

Cross-crafting and its symbolism

© 2000 by Ramūnas Virkutis/Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre

Cross-crafting in Lithuania includes making crosses and altars and performing the rituals consecrating those crosses. Placed on roadsides at village entrances, near monuments and in cemeteries, and linked to Catholic ceremonies and harvest celebrations, crosses are a symbol of the unity of the community.

Under this project, both cross crafting practitioners and data collectors were trained with the help of experts from the Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre. Furthermore, the National Centre for the Safeguarding and Revitalization of Cross Crafting Traditions, established under the project, has provided work facilities for young craftsmen as well as training in traditional techniques, while introducing them to the symbolism and function of Lithuanian crosses in the past and present.

The project contributed to the development and reinforcement of research networks, facilitated coordination among relevant institutions and practitioners, and increased awareness among Lithuanians of the significance of cross crafting and its associated symbolism.