A sub-regional workshop on the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) - www.unesco.org/culture/ich - took place in Bamako (Mali) from 19 to 20 May 2008. It followed the sub-regional meetings organized by UNESCO in November and December 2006 in Douala (Cameroon) and Dakar (Senegal).

Considering the growing interest for the Convention, the rapid development of its implementation and the fact that many States Parties to the Convention have already started preparing nomination files for inscription on the Lists of Intangible Heritage, it was considered timely to organize a workshop whose objective is to promote the Convention among African Non-States Parties, or in which the ratification process is underway, and to put emphasis on the various aspects of the implementation of this normative instrument.

Among others, the following themes were debated:

• the objectives of the 2003 Convention
• the rights and obligations of States Parties to the Convention
• the mechanisms of the Convention
• inventorying intangible cultural heritage
• the safeguarding measures of the intangible cultural heritage
• the inscription of elements of the intangible cultural heritage on the Lists

Documents:

• Background document (English|French)
• Agenda (English|French)
• Participants (English-French)

Contact in the UNESCO Office in Bamako: Vincent Seck (v.seck@unesco.org)