The Committee,

1. Recalling the initial inscription of ‘Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz, Nevruz’ (submitted by Azerbaijan, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan) by the fourth session of the Committee in 2009 (Decision 4.COM 13.03) and the inscription on an extended basis of ‘Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz’ by the eleventh session of the Committee in 2016 to include Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (Decision 11.COM 10.b1) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,
2. Takes note that Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Mongolia have nominated Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz (No. 02097) for inscription, on an extended basis to include Mongolia, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Nauryz is a traditional folk spring festival based on the worship of nature, the sun and the universe. Observed in several countries in Asia and the Middle East, it is associated with a love of nature and all living things, a respect for human beings, and the spread of good. In Mongolia, it is one of the most important holidays of the year. Mongolia is home to over 130,000 Kazakh people who form 4% of the national population. On 22 March, the Kazakh people of Mongolia rise early to greet the sunrise of the new year. They light two candles to symbolize happiness and abundance in the new year, fill containers with yogurt, milk or spring water, and cook and eat koje, a traditional Nauryz soup. For the practitioners, Nauryz is a time for settling debts and disputes. The celebrations – which include games, sports competitions, folk music and song and dance performances – promote respect, unity and solidarity, as everybody can participate freely. Nauryz traditions are transmitted from older to younger generations informally, through observation and participation. As a shared living heritage in Asia and the Middle East, the Nauryz festival encourages mutual understanding and friendship between different ethnic communities and can play a determining role in bringing together people of different cultures, countries and nations.

3. Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

R.1:   Nauryz is a traditional folk spring festival observed in several countries in Asia and the Middle East. For the practitioners in Mongolia, the Nauryz festival is a time for settling debts and disputes thus promoting unity, solidarity and respect for everybody participating. Nauryz traditions are transmitted from older to younger generations informally, through observation and participation. Women, men, children and elders participate in the celebrations, competitions and performances. The element promotes love of nature, respect for human beings and a sense of harmony among people, respecting human rights, social justice, and equity, independent of age, gender, faith, and nationality. The element encourages mutual understanding and friendship between different ethnic communities and promotes peace and sustainable development in the communities.

R.2:   The file indicates that prior inscription of the element in 2009 and 2016 raised awareness and visibility of intangible cultural heritage and the 2003 Convention within their countries and beyond. The file also indicates how the element contributes to human creativity, innovation and dialogue. The Nauryz in Mongolia encourages dialogue and promotes social cohesion between different groups of people. The inscription on an extended basis to include Mongolia, will promote human creativity and respect for cultural diversity. However, information about the element’s contribution to sustainable development could have been strengthened beyond the general reference to the content in the original file of inscription.

R.4:   Representatives of the Ministry of Culture and of NGOs working in the area of intangible cultural heritage organized a number of meetings with respective bearer communities and local researchers. A working group visited families and met and discussed with around 200 representatives from the Kazakh ethnic communities to obtain their free, prior and informed consent as well as comments on the elaboration of the nomination file. While the process of involving the communities was adequately described in the file, the letters of consent submitted as part of the nomination file were brief and appeared to be signed off by governors or directors of government departments, rather than provided directly by the communities. Letters of support from the original submitting States Parties were provided.

4. Further considers that, from the information included in the file and the information provided by the submitting State through the dialogue process, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

R.3:   To protect and promote the element, a number of safeguarding measures were proposed. The joining State Party also committed to adopting all of the safeguarding measures proposed in the original file submitted for inscription. The role and involvement of the Kazakh communities in Mongolia in the planning and implementation of the proposed safeguarding measures is explained through the dialogue process. A working group of local communities, council of elders, scholars, and local government representatives was established to develop the nomination materials and deliberate on the safeguarding measures outlined in the original multinational nomination file. Elders will play a key role in implementing the safeguarding measures, while coaching youths through apprenticeships. To celebrate the element jointly, practitioners and communities in States Parties will be invited and further steps will be put forward to develop intercultural dialogue on the element.

R.5:   The element was included in the National Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mongolia in 2019, which is managed and updated by the National Centre for Cultural Heritage. The inventory is updated every three years. State organizations, such as the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the National Centre for Cultural Heritage, as well as the communities concerned, were involved in the inventorying process, as clarified by the response obtained during the dialogue process.

5. Decides to inscribe Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
6. Further notes that the present nomination is an inscription on an extended basis which incorporates and replaces ‘Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz’ (No. 01161), previously inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016;
7. Reminds the joining State Party, when submitting nomination files in the future, to avoid standardized letters of consent and to ensure the free, prior and informed consent of the communities concerned.