Safeguarding the Oral and Intangible Heritage
In 2001, UNESCO's Director-General proclaimed the first 19 masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.
They were chosen for their outstanding value. This first proclamation highlighted the value of the intangible cultural heritage and underlined its vulnerability, particularly in the face of globalization, and the urgency of taking action for its safeguarding.
In creating an international distinction for the intangible cultural heritage, UNESCO drew the international community's attention to the importance of giving recognition to this heritage, which is essential to the preservation of the identity and cultural diversity of peoples. With their exceptional value from an artistic, historical and anthropological point of view, the 19 cultural spaces and forms of popular and traditional expression proclaimed, represent as many different testimonies to the richness and diversity of the intangible cultural heritage throughout the world: 4 in Africa, 7 in Asia, 4 in Europe and 4 in Latin America and the Caribbean.
