The Committee,
- Having examined Document ITH/13/8.COM/10,
- Recalling paragraphs 33 and 34 of the Operational Directives, and its Decision 7.COM 12.d,
- Taking note that the number of files being treated for the 2014 cycle is 63, entailing serious delays, and bearing in mind that the number to be treated for the 2015 cycle was previously determined to be 60,
- Considering that its capacities to examine files during a session are limited, as are the capacities of its advisory bodies and the human resources of the Secretariat,
- Decides that in the course of the 2015 cycle, the number of nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, proposals of programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention and International Assistance requests greater than US$25,000 that can be treated is determined to be 50;
- Further decides that in the course of the 2016 cycle, the number of nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, proposals of programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention and International Assistance requests greater than US$25,000 that can be treated is determined to be 50;
- Requests to ensure that at least one file per submitting State should be processed during the two year period, within the agreed number of nominations per biennium, in conformity with paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives;
- Further decides that the Secretariat may exercise some flexibility, if that would permit greater equity among submitting States with equal priority under paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives;
- Invites States Parties to take the present decision into account when submitting files for the 2015 and 2016 cycle;
- Further requests the Secretariat to report to it on the number of files submitted for the 2015 cycle and its experience applying the Operational Directives and the present decision at its ninth session.