The Committee,

1. Having examined document LHE/21/16.COM/7.a,
2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decisions COM 8.13 and 13.COM 7.b.10,
3. Expresses its appreciation to Mauritania for submitting its second report on the status of the element ‘Moorish epic T’heydinn’, inscribed in 2011 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, which was initially due for submission by 15 December 2020;
4. Takes note of the efforts described in the report submitted by Mauritania to safeguard the element, in particular through documentation and dissemination, enhancing income generation for its bearers and supporting griot associations, training younger generations, providing space to perform the element and raising awareness about it among the general public, and further takes note of the national policy and the legislative and institutional framework that were developed for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage;
5. Invites the State Party to pursue its efforts to document the element and disseminate the material documented, to raise public awareness about the element, to train younger generations in its practice, to support income generating activities for its bearers and to monitor its viability throughout its safeguarding;
6. Encourages the State Party to benefit from the national institutional framework established to support the safeguarding of the element, to continue supporting its bearers in their safeguarding efforts and developing spaces for the practice of the element in its territory, as well as organizing periodic events to raise awareness about the element, and to address in its safeguarding efforts the identified risk of the absence of the element within school curricula;
7. Further invites the State Party to pay due attention to free, prior and informed consent for the documentation of the element and for the dissemination of documented material, to ensure sustained community access to such material, and to target its dissemination for reaching identified audiences, such as youth;
8. Recalls the importance of an active and wide participation of the communities, groups and individuals concerned and relevant non-governmental organizations in the reporting process, and further encourages the State Party to ensure their full participation in the preparation of its future reports;
9. Requests that the Secretariat inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2023 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.