The Committee,

1. Having examined document ITH/17/12.COM/8.c,
2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decision 7.COM 8.3,
3. Expresses its thanks to Indonesia for submitting, on time, its report on the status of the element ‘Noken multifunctional knotted or woven bag, handcraft of the people of Papua’, inscribed in 2012 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
4. Takes note of the continued efforts undertaken by Indonesia to safeguard this element and, in particular, to provide guidance and assistance such as incentives to Noken craftspeople, include Noken as a local content subject in educational programmes and ensure the availability of natural raw materials;
5. Invites the State Party to continue inventorying the element and to roll this out to a wider geographical area, training Noken communities in data collection methods, introducing Noken into local curricula, widening distribution of a printed teaching module and materials on Noken, supporting existing sanggar to provide training in Noken for practitioners and school teachers, and further building the capacities of Papuan craftspeople;
6. Encourages the State Party to consolidate its commitment to safeguarding the element by promoting Noken through exhibitions and festivals, supporting craftspeople to showcase their Noken crafts and ensuring an adequate supply of Noken raw materials, always bearing in mind the possible negative impacts that over-commercialization can have on the element’s social and cultural functions and meanings;
7. Requests that the Secretariat inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2020 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.