Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 17.COM 6.A.21

The Committee,

  1. Having examined document LHE/22/17.COM/6.a Rev.,
  2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decisions 8.COM 7.a.12, 10.COM 6.b.3 and 13.COM 7.b.15,
  3. Expresses its appreciation to Uganda for submitting, on time, its third report on the status of the element ‘Empaako tradition of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of western Uganda’, inscribed in 2013 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
  4. Takes note of the efforts undertaken by the State Party to safeguard the element, in particular through effectively implementing the safeguarding plan, extensively documenting the element, disseminating information and knowledge about it to diverse audiences, developing educational materials, and revitalizing the Runyoro Rutooro language;
  5. Further takes note of the efforts of community members, organizations and institutions to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, by maintaining initiatives that were not able to be implemented during the pandemic as part of the updated safeguarding plan;
  6. Encourages the State Party to pursue its efforts to consolidate documented information and knowledge on the element and to integrate it into educational programmes, to build the capacities of practitioners, to regularly monitor safeguarding efforts, and to address environmental sustainability and peace building issues in the safeguarding of the element;
  7. Invites the State Party to support actions to revitalize and develop the Runyoro Rutooro language, including through training and language education, and to include, in its next report on the status of this element, information on the funding sources for safeguarding activities;
  8. Further encourages the State Party to continue its fundraising efforts and developing synergies among various funding sources;
  9. Requests that the Secretariat inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2025 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.

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