Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 19.COM 7

The Committee,

  1. Recalling Chapter I of the Operational Directives and Resolution 9.GA 9,
  2. Having examined documents LHE/24/19.COM/7, LHE/24/19.COM/7.a, LHE/24/19.COM/7.b, LHE/24/19.COM/7.c, and LHE/24/19.COM/7.d, as well as the files submitted by the respective States Parties,
  3. Expresses its satisfaction with the work of the Evaluation Body, thanks its members for the quality of the present report and their efforts to implement the results of the global reflection on the listing mechanisms, and appreciates the assistance of the Secretariat in facilitating the work of the Evaluation Body;
  4. Congratulates those submitting States that have submitted nominations for the first time or presented nominations that could serve as good examples for future nominations;
  5. Recalls that the designations employed in the texts and documents presented by the submitting States Parties do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Committee nor UNESCO concerning a) the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, b)the legal status of its authorities, c) the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or d) references to specific historical events;

Outcomes of the global reflection

  1. Further recalls the outcomes of the global reflection on the listing mechanisms of the Convention (2018-2022), takes note that this is the first nomination cycle in which the resulting amendments to the Operational Directives have taken full effect, and recognizes the need to monitor the increased workload of the Secretariat, Evaluation Body and the Committee, considering the additional tasks that have been generated as a result of the global reflection on the listing mechanisms, many of which are not included within the annual ceiling of files;
  2. Appreciates the efforts of States Parties, in the first nomination cycle since the most recent amendments to the Operational Directives, particularly as regards the strengthening of the connection between living heritage and sustainable development, the increased interconnection between nomination files and periodic reports, and extending multinational elements to a wider range of States;
  3. Further appreciates that the most recent amendments to the Operational Directives have enabled States Parties to bring the voices of communities to the fore, particularly through the use of audiovisual materials, and contributed to making the Lists and Register of the Convention more dynamic and interconnected;
  4. Requests the Secretariat to revise the Form ICH-02 USL to RL to better meet the requirements of paragraph 39.3 of the Operational Directives, taking into account relevant recommendations of the Evaluation Body to better reflect the current status of the element and its safeguarding plan;

Support to States Parties

  1. Appreciates the efforts of the Evaluation Body in making the broadest possible use of the dialogue process, contributing towards achieving more geographical balance in the Lists and the Register of the Convention, and encourages the Evaluation Body to continue utilizing this process in future cycles;
  2. Invites States Parties, particularly those with no inscriptions on the Lists and Register of the Convention, to consider utilising preparatory assistance as provided for in the International Assistance mechanism of the Convention, with reference to paragraphs 21 and 22 of the Operational Directives;

Thematic issues

  1. Highlights the power of ‘connections’ amongst and between communities that can be observed amongst elements proposed in the present cycle’s files, particularly living heritage practices linked to social gatherings which emphasize human solidarity and cohesion, while appreciating the indexing analysis undertaken to understand the themes that can characterise the 2024 cycle;
  2. Reminds States Parties of the importance of ensuring the broadest possible participation of communities, groups and individuals throughout the nomination process and in the planning and implementation of safeguarding measures, and to utilize audiovisual materials that provide clarity on the nature and context of the nominated element and the communities concerned.

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