Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 13.COM 7.b.5

The Committee,

  1. Having examined document ITH/18/13.COM/7.b,
  2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decisions 8.COM 7.a.5, 10.COM 6.b.2 and 10.COM 11,
  3. Expresses its thanks to Guatemala for submitting, on time, its second report on the status of the element ‘Nan Pa’ch ceremony’, inscribed in 2013 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
  4. Takes note of the continued efforts undertaken by Guatemala to safeguard the element, especially through the attention paid to the role of education in the transmission processes, inventorying activities and continuous municipal support for safeguarding the element;
  5. Notes that local capacities for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage were reinforced thanks to the support of the earmarked contribution from the Government of Azerbaijan to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund;
  6. Invites the State Party to enhance the transmission of the Maya-Mum language, as a significant component of the Nan Pa’ch ceremony, and to contribute to building consensus among various community groups and organizations, respecting their distinct roles in the transmission of the ceremony;
  7. Further invites the State Party to take into account the present social and cultural functions of the element when assessing the viability of the element and developing future safeguarding measures, as well as to develop a medium- and long-term safeguarding plan for the Nan Pa’ch ceremony;
  8. Encourages the State Party to continue its safeguarding efforts and to consider International Assistance as a possible source of funding to this end, in particular regarding the preparation of educational materials;
  9. Recalls that inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding does not imply exclusivity or intellectual property, which would prevent other communities from practising the nominated element;
  10. Requests that the Secretariat inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2021 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.

Top