A three-day workshop on intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development, with implications for policy and programme development, was
held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. As part of the global capacity-building strategy under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the UNESCO Office in Almaty had carried out a series of activities to strengthen capacities for the implementation of the Convention at the national level in four countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan. Most of these activities were carried out under the project period 2012-16), supported by contributions from the Kingdom of Norway to the Intangible Heritage Fund.
During the project period, Kazakhstan authorities elaborated and adopted several key documents related to intangible cultural heritage, including the ‘Conception on the Safeguarding and Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Republic of Kazakhstan’ in 2013, and the ‘Conception on
Cultural Policy for 2015-2050’ and its Action Plan in 2014. In addition, a working group of parliamentarians was created and is currently working on
revisions to culture-related laws.