The Committee,

1. Having examined document LHE/19/14.COM/9.a Rev.,
2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decision 9.COM 9.a.5,
3. Expresses its thanks to Kenya for submitting, on time, its first report on the status of the element ‘Isukuti dance of Isukha and Idakho communities of Western Kenya’, inscribed in 2014 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
4. Takes note of the continued efforts undertaken by Kenya to safeguard the element, in particular by providing bearers with opportunities to transmit their knowledge to the younger generations through workshops and capacity-building activities, advancing research and documentation of the practice, implementing broad awareness-raising programmes, and ensuring the production of musical instruments through the sustainable management of the natural resources and raw materials needed;
5. Invites the State Party to continue its effective implementation of the safeguarding plan while paying particular attention to improving the viability of the associated aspects of the element, including its traditional and symbolic references; to strengthen its efforts to integrate the practice of the element into school curricula; and to establish a cultural centre in Kakamega as initially foreseen in the safeguarding plan;
6. Encourages the State Party to support training and educational activities, to monitor together with the community organizations the possible negative effects connected with the commercialization of and decline in the livelihood of bearers, and to ensure that the resources needed for the long-term safeguarding plan are identified;
7. Requests that the Secretariat inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2022 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.