The Committee,

1. Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/14.a,
2. Recalling Decisions 8.COM 13.a and 9.COM 13.b,
3. Reaffirming the important role of intangible cultural heritage as a driver, enabler and guarantee of sustainable development, in particular in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
4. Thanks the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO for generously hosting and co-financing the expert meeting on intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development at the national level, which took place from 29 September to 1 October 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey;
5. Decides to endorse the new draft chapter of Operational Directives for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development at the national level, in view of submitting it for discussion and approval to the sixth session of the General Assembly in June 2016 in accordance with Article 7 of the Convention;
6. Underlines that the provisions of this chapter should be interpreted in line with the UN Charter, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
7. Recommends to the General Assembly to approve the proposed Chapter VI of the Operational Directives on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development at the national level, as annexed to this decision;
8. Encourages States Parties to fully integrate the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in legislation, policies and development strategies both within and outside the cultural sector;
9. Requests the Secretariat, once the General Assembly will have approved inclusion of the proposed Chapter VI of the Operational Directives, to update the curriculum of the Convention's capacity-building programme accordingly.

ANNEX

Draft Operational Directives on

‘Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage
and sustainable development at the national level’

Chapter VI        SAFEGUARDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

170. With a view to effectively implementing the Convention, States Parties shall endeavour, by all appropriate means, to recognize the importance and strengthen the role of intangible cultural heritage as a driver and guarantee of sustainable development, as well as fully integrate the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage into their development plans, policies and programmes at all levels. While recognizing the interdependence between the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, sustainable development and peace and security, States Parties shall strive to maintain a balance between the three dimensions of sustainable development (the economic, social and environmental) in their safeguarding efforts and shall to this end facilitate cooperation with relevant experts, cultural brokers and mediators through a participatory approach. States Parties shall acknowledge the dynamic nature of intangible cultural heritage in both urban and rural contexts and shall direct their safeguarding efforts solely on such intangible cultural heritage that is compatible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development.
171. Insofar as their development plans, policies and programmes involve intangible cultural heritage or may potentially affect its viability, States Parties shall endeavour to:
     • ensure the widest possible participation of communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals that create, maintain and transmit such heritage, and involve them actively in such plans, policies and programmes;
     • ensure that those communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries, both in moral and in material terms, of any such plans, policies and programmes;
     • ensure that such plans, policies and programmes respect ethical considerations and do not negatively affect the viability of the intangible cultural heritage concerned or de-contextualize or denaturalize that heritage;
     • facilitate cooperation with sustainable development experts and cultural brokers for the appropriate integration of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage into plans, policies and programmes, both within and outside the cultural sector.
172. States Parties shall endeavour to take full cognizance of the potential and actual impacts of all development plans and programmes on intangible cultural heritage, particularly in the context of environmental, social, economic and cultural impact assessment processes.
173. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a strategic resource to enable sustainable development. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of issues linked to protection of various rights of the communities, groups and individuals, connected to the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, in particular through the application of intellectual property rights, privacy rights and any other appropriate forms of legal protection, to ensure that the rights of the communities, groups and individuals that create, bear and transmit their intangible cultural heritage are duly protected when raising awareness about their heritage or engaging in commercial activities.
174. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure that their safeguarding plans and programmes are fully inclusive of all sectors and strata of society, including indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities and members of vulnerable groups, in conformity with Article 11 of the Convention.
175. States Parties are encouraged to foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities or groups themselves and by non-governmental organizations, aimed at understanding the contributions of intangible cultural heritage to sustainable development and its importance as a resource for dealing with development problems and at demonstrating its value with clear evidence, including appropriate indicators if possible.
176. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure that inscriptions of intangible cultural heritage on the Convention’s lists as provided in Articles 16 and 17 of the Convention and the selection of best safeguarding practices as provided in Article 18 of the Convention are used to advance the Convention’s goals of safeguarding and sustainable development and are not misused to the detriment of the intangible cultural heritage and communities, groups or individuals concerned, in particular for short-term economic gain.

VI.1   Inclusive social development

177. States Parties are encouraged to recognize that inclusive social development cannot be achieved without sustainable food security, quality health care, quality education for all, gender equality and access to safe water and sanitation, and that these goals must be underpinned by inclusive governance and the freedom for people to choose their own value systems.

VI.1.1     Food security

178. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure the recognition of, respect for and enhancement of those farming, fishing, hunting, pastoral, food-gathering, food preparation and food preservation knowledge and practices, including their related rituals and beliefs, that contribute to food security and adequate nutrition and that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities or groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of those knowledge and practices, demonstrating their efficacy, identifying and promoting their contributions to maintaining agro-biodiversity, providing food security and strengthening their resilience to climate change;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, including codes or other tools of ethics, to promote and/or regulate access to farming, fishing, hunting, pastoral and food gathering, food preparation and food preservation knowledge and practices, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, as well as equitable sharing of the benefits they generate, and ensure the transmission of such knowledge and practices;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to recognize and respect the customary rights of communities and groups to those land, sea and forest ecosystems necessary for their farming, fishing, pastoral and food-gathering knowledge and practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage.

VI.1.2     Health care

179. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure the recognition of, respect for and enhancement of those health practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that contribute to well-being, including their related knowledge, genetic resources, practices, expressions, rituals and beliefs, and to harness their potential to contribute to achieving quality health care for all. To that end, they are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of health care practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, demonstrating their functions and efficacy and identifying their contributions to meeting health care needs;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, in consultation with knowledge holders, healers and practitioners, to promote access to healing knowledge and raw materials, participation in healing practices, and transmission of such knowledge and practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of them;
     • enhance collaboration and complementarity among the diversity of health care practices and systems.

VI.1.3     Quality education

180. Within their respective educational systems and policies, States Parties shall endeavour, by all appropriate means, to ensure recognition of, respect for and enhancement of the intangible cultural heritage in society, emphasizing its role in transmitting life skills, in particular through specific educational and training programmes within the communities and groups concerned and through non-formal means of transmitting knowledge. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
       1. ensure that educational systems promote respect for one’s self, one’s community or group, mutual respect for others and do not in any way alienate people from their intangible cultural heritage, characterize their communities or groups as not participating in contemporary life or harm in any way their image;
       2. ensure that intangible cultural heritage is integrated as fully as possible into the content of educational programmes of all relevant disciplines, both as a contribution in its own right and as a means of explaining or demonstrating other subjects at the curricular, cross-curricular and extra-curricular levels;

• recognize the importance, along with innovative safeguarding methods, of modes and methods of transmitting intangible cultural heritage that are themselves recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, and seek to harness their potential within formal and non-formal education systems;

• enhance collaboration and complementarity among the diversity of educational practices and systems;
• foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of pedagogical methods that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and assessing their efficacy and suitability for integration into other educational contexts;
• promote education for the protection of biodiversity, natural spaces and places of memory whose existence is necessary for expressing the intangible cultural heritage.

VI.1.4     Gender equality

181. States Parties shall endeavour to foster the contributions of intangible cultural heritage and its safeguarding to greater gender equality and to eliminating gender-based discrimination while recognizing that communities and groups pass on their values, norms and expectations related to gender through intangible cultural heritage and it is, therefore, a privileged context in which group and community members’ gender identities are shaped. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • take advantage of the potential of intangible cultural heritage and of its safeguarding to create common spaces for dialogue on how best to achieve gender equality, taking into account the diverse perspectives of all stakeholders;
     • promote the important role that intangible cultural heritage and its safeguarding can play in building mutual respect among communities and groups whose members may not share the same conceptions of gender;
     • assist communities and groups in examining expressions of their intangible heritage with regard to their impact and potential contribution to enhancing gender equality and to take the results of this examination into account in decisions to safeguard, practice, transmit and promote at the international level these expressions;
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of gender roles within particular expressions of intangible cultural heritage;
     • ensure gender equality in the planning, management and implementation of safeguarding measures, at all levels and in all contexts, in order to take full advantage of the diverse perspectives of all members of society.

VI.1.5     Access to clean and safe water and sustainable water use

182. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure the viability of water management systems that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that promote equitable access to safe drinking water and sustainable water use, notably in agriculture and other subsistence activities. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of those water management systems that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and identifying their contributions to meeting environmental and water-related development needs, as well as how to strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to identify, enhance and promote such systems in order to respond to water needs and climate change challenges at the local, national and international levels.

VI.2   Inclusive economic development

183. States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge that the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage contributes to inclusive economic development, and to recognize that sustainable development depends upon stable, equitable and inclusive economic growth based on sustainable patterns of production and consumption and requires reduction of poverty and inequalities, productive and decent employment, low-carbon, as well as resource-efficient economic growth and welfare protection.
184. States Parties shall endeavour to take full advantage of intangible cultural heritage as a powerful force for inclusive and equitable economic development, encompassing a diversity of productive activities with both monetary and non-monetary value, and contributing in particular to strengthening local economies. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to respect the nature of that heritage and the specific circumstances of the communities, groups or individuals concerned, particularly their choice of collective or individual management of their heritage while providing them with the necessary conditions for the practice of their creative expressions and promoting fair trade and ethical economic relations.

VI.2.1     Income generation and sustainable livelihoods

185. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution of intangible cultural heritage to generating income and sustaining livelihoods for communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at identifying and assessing opportunities that intangible cultural heritage offers for generating income and sustaining livelihoods for communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to its role in supplementing other forms of income;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
       1. promote opportunities for communities, groups and individuals to generate income and sustain their livelihood through the sustainable practice, transmission and safeguarding of their intangible cultural heritage;
       2. ensure that the communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of income generated as a result of their own intangible cultural heritage and that they are not dispossessed of it, in particular in order to generate income for others.

VI.2.2     Productive employment and decent work

186. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution of intangible cultural heritage to productive employment and decent work for communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at identifying and assessing opportunities that intangible cultural heritage offers for productive employment and decent work for the communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to its adaptability to family and household circumstances and relation to other forms of employment;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, including tax incentives, to:
       1. promote productive employment and decent work for communities, groups and individuals in the practice and transmission of their intangible cultural heritage while extending social security protection and benefits to them;
       2. ensure that the communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of work opportunities involving their own intangible cultural heritage and that they are not dispossessed of it, in particular in order to create employment for others.

VI.2.3         Impact of tourism on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and vice versa

187. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure that any activities related to tourism, whether undertaken by the States or by public or private bodies, demonstrate all due respect to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage present in their territories and to the rights, aspirations and wishes of the communities, groups and individuals concerned therewith. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • assess, both in general and in specific terms, the potential of intangible cultural heritage for sustainable tourism and the impact of tourism on the intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development of the communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to anticipating potential impact before activities are initiated;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
       1. ensure that communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of any tourism associated with their own intangible cultural heritage while promoting their lead role in managing such tourism;
       2. ensure that the viability, social functions and cultural meanings of that heritage are in no way diminished or threatened by such tourism;

• guide the interventions of those involved in the tourism industry and the behaviour of those who participate in it as tourists.

VI.3   Environmental sustainability

188. States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge the contribution of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to environmental sustainability and recognize that environmental sustainability requires ensuring a stable climate, sustainably managed natural resources and protecting biodiversity, which in turn depend on improved scientific understanding and knowledge-sharing about climate change, natural hazards, the environmental and natural resource limits and that strengthening resilience among vulnerable populations in the face of climate change and natural disasters is essential.

VI.3.1     Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe

189. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure recognition of, respect for, sharing of and enhancement of the knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that contribute to environmental sustainability recognizing their capacity to evolve, harnessing their potential role in the protection of biodiversity and in the sustainable management of natural resources. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • recognize communities, groups and individuals as the bearers of knowledge about nature and the universe and as essential actors in sustaining the environment;
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding systems of biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and sustainable resource use, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, and demonstrating their effectiveness while promoting international cooperation for the identification and sharing of good practices;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
       1. promote access to and transmission of traditional knowledge concerning nature and the universe while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of it;
       2. conserve and protect those natural spaces whose existence is necessary for expressing the intangible cultural heritage.

VI.3.2     Environmental impacts in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage

190. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize the potential and actual environmental impacts of intangible cultural heritage practices and safeguarding activities, with particular attention to the possible consequences of their intensification. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding such impacts;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to encourage environmentally friendly practices and to mitigate any possible harmful impacts.

VI.3.3     Community-based resilience to natural disasters and climate change

191. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure recognition of, respect for and enhancement of knowledge and practices concerning geoscience, particularly the climate, and harness their potential to contribute to the reduction of risk, recovery from natural disasters, particularly through the strengthening of social cohesion and mitigation of climate change impacts. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • recognize communities, groups and individuals as the bearers of traditional knowledge about geoscience, particularly the climate;
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding and demonstrating the effectiveness of knowledge of disaster risk reduction, disaster recovery, climate adaptation and climate change mitigation, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, while enhancing the capacities of communities, groups and individuals to face challenges related to climate change that existing knowledge may not address;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
       1. promote access to and transmission of knowledge concerning the earth and the climate, that is recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of it;
       2. fully integrate communities, groups and individuals who are bearers of such knowledge into systems and programmes of disaster risk reduction, disaster recovery and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

VI.4   Peace and security

192. States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge the contribution of safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to peace and security and recognize that peace and security – including freedom from conflict, discrimination and all forms of violence – are prerequisites and catalysts for sustainable development and require respect for human rights, inclusive and equitable social development, effective systems of justice, inclusive political processes and appropriate systems of conflict prevention and resolution.
193. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance those practices, representations and expressions of intangible cultural heritage that have peace-making and peace-building at their core, bring communities, groups and individuals together and ensure exchange, dialogue and understanding among them. States Parties shall further endeavour to fully realize the contribution that safeguarding activities make to the construction of peace.

VI.4.1     Social cohesion and equity

194. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize and promote the contribution of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to social cohesion, overcoming all forms of discrimination and strengthening the social fabric of communities and groups in an inclusive way. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to give particular attention to those practices, expressions and knowledge that help communities, groups and individuals to transcend and address differences of gender, colour, ethnicity, origin, class and locality and to those that are broadly inclusive of all sectors and strata of society, including indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities and members of marginalized groups.

VI.4.2     Preventing and resolving disputes

195. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution that intangible cultural heritage can make towards the prevention of disputes and peaceful conflict resolution. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at demonstrating expressions, practices and representations of intangible cultural heritage as contributors to dispute prevention and peaceful conflict resolution;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
       1. support such expressions, practices and representations;
       2. integrate them into public programmes and policies;

• reduce their vulnerability during and in the aftermath of conflicts;

1. consider them, as fully as possible, as complements to other legal and administrative mechanisms of dispute prevention and peaceful conflict resolution.

VI.4.3     Restoring peace and security

196. States Parties shall endeavour to take full advantage of the potential role of intangible cultural heritage in the restoration of peace, reconciliation between parties, re-establishment of safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding how intangible cultural heritage can contribute to restoring peace, reconciling parties, re-establishing safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals;
     • adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to integrate such intangible cultural heritage into public programmes and policies aimed at the restoration of peace, reconciliation between parties, re-establishment of safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals.

VI.4.4     Achieving lasting peace and security

197. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution that safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of communities, groups and individuals makes to the construction of lasting peace and security. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     • ensure that their safeguarding efforts fully include and recognize the intangible cultural heritage of indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities, and members of vulnerable groups;
     • take full advantage of the contribution of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage to democratic governance and human rights by ensuring the widest possible participation of communities, groups and individuals;
     • achieve the peace-building potential of safeguarding efforts that involve intercultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity.