During its third session held in November 2008, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage accepted the offer from the United Arab Emirates to host its fourth session (Decision 3.COM 13). This fourth session took place in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, from 28 September to 2 October 2009.

The Committee made the first Inscriptions on the Representative List and the Urgent Safeguarding List, and related documentation (nomination files, photographies, videos) is available online from the Lists page.

Committee members of the fourth session

Belarus, Central African Republic, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Estonia, Gabon, Hungary, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Niger, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Korea, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam and Zimbabwe

Bureau of the fourth session of the Committee

The elected Members (decisions 3.COM 14 and 4.COM 3) of the Bureau of the fourth session of the Committee are:

  • Chairperson: H.E. Mr Awadh Ali Saleh (United Arab Emirates)
  • Vice-Chairs: Cyprus, India, Mali and Paraguay
  • Rapporteur: Mr Tvrtko Zebec (Croatia)

According to Rule 12.2 of the Committee’s Rules of Procedure, the Bureau “shall coordinate the work of the Committee and fix the dates, times and order of business of meetings. It shall exercise any other duty entrusted to it by the Committee”. Paragraph 73 of the Operational Directives designates the Bureau as the body authorized to approve preparatory assistance requests and international assistance requests up to US$25,000. By its Decision 3.COM 10, the Committee delegated “to the Bureau of the Committee, on an exceptional basis, until its next session, the authority to designate examiners for Urgent Safeguarding List nominations for the accelerated timetable for 2009 inscriptions, and for International Assistance requests greater than USD 25,000, in accordance with the procedures laid out in this decision, and in doing so, take into account, inter alia, regional particularities and specificities as well as the need for geographical balance”. The Bureau thus met three times in 2008 (4.COM 1 BUR) and 2009 (4.COM 2 BUR and 4.COM 3 BUR). The documents are available after identification (see below for more information).

Speeches and statements

  • H.H. Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage: English|Arabic
  • Mr Chérif Khaznadar, Chairman of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the 2003 Convention: English|French
  • Ms Françoise Rivière, Representative of the Director-General of UNESCO, Assistant Director-General for Culture: English|French
  • H.E. Mr Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yai, Chairman of the Executive Board of UNESCO: English
  • H.E. Mr Awadh Ali Saleh, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: soon available
  • Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO: English
  • Common statement of NGOs, by Ms Cristina Amescua on behalf of NGOs recommended for accreditation: English
  • H.E. Mr Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazroui, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage : English|Arabic
  • Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the Closing Ceremony: English

Summary records and decisions

Working documents

In accordance with Rule 42 of the Intergovernmental Committee’s Rules of Procedure, the documents relating to the items on the provisional agenda of each session of the Committee shall be distributed to the Members of the Committee in the two working languages at the latest four weeks before the beginning of the session. They shall be provided in electronic form to accredited organizations, the public or private bodies and private persons invited to the session and to States Parties which are not members of the Committee.

Two documents have been drafted on the basis of comments received by the Secretariat on:

The working documents related to the items of the provisional agenda (English|French) are online since 31 August 2009. Documents concerning the evaluation of the nominations for inscription on the Representative List are online since 1 August.

List of working documents

  • Adoption of the agenda
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/2 Rev.3: English|French
  • Replacement of the rapporteur
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/3: English|French
  • Admission of observers
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/4 Rev.: English|French
  • Adoption of the draft summary record of the third ordinary session of the Committee
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/5: English|French
  • Draft operational directives on raising awareness about intangible cultural heritage
    To consult the responses to the Questionnaire on raising awareness about intangible cultural heritage, please see: Raising awareness about ICH
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/6: English|French
  • Draft operational directives concerning the use of the emblem of the Convention
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/7: English|French
  • Draft operational directives on the means to increase the resources of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/8: English|French
  • Accreditation of non-governmental organizations
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/9: English|French
  • Modalities and methods of facilitating the contribution of non-governmental organizations from developing countries
    To consult the Comments of States Parties on the contribution of NGOs from developing countries that are being presented to the Committee, please see: Comments of States Parties
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/10 Rev.: English|French
  • Evaluation of International Assistance requests of USD 25,000 or more
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/11: English|French
  • Draft plan for the use of the resources of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund (January 2010 to December 2011 and January to June 2012)
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/12: English|French
  • Evaluation of the nominations for inscription on the Representative List
    Nomination files for inscription in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity can be accessed through 2009 Representative List nominations
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/13 Rev.2: English|French
  • Evaluation of the nominations for inscription on the Urgent Safeguarding List
    Nomination files for inscription in 2009 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding can be accessed through 2009 Urgent Safeguarding List nominations
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/14(+Corr. English only): English|French
  • Evaluation of proposals of programmes, projects and activities as best reflecting the principles of the Convention (Article 18)
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/15+Add.: English|French
  • Selection of examiners for nominations to the Urgent Safeguarding List in 2010
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/16: English|French
  • Selection of examiners for International Assistance requests of USD 25,000 or more
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/17: English|French
  • Draft guidelines for selection of examiners with relevant competence to examine nominations to the Urgent Safeguarding List and International Assistance requests greater than US$25,000
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/18 Rev.: English|French
  • Draft revisions of the Operational Directives
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/19: English|French
  • Common Guidelines and formats for periodic reports
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/20: English|French
  • Report by the Committee to the General Assembly on its activities
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/21 Rev.: English|French
  • Date and venue of the fifth session of the Committee
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/22: English|French
  • Election of the members of the Bureau of the fifth session of the Committee
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/23: English|French

List of information documents

  • General information
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.1: English|French
  • Provisional timetable
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.2 Rev.2: English|French
  • Provisional list of participants
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.3: soon available
  • Provisional list of NGOs, non-profit making institutions and experts
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.4: English/French
  • Report by the Chairperson on the meetings of the Bureau of the Committee (17 December 2008, 7 May 2009, 10 June 2009)
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.5: English|French
  • Report by the Rapporteur on the meetings of the Subsidiary Body for the examination of nominations to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.6: English|French
  • Financial statement for the period 1 July 2008 – 30 June 2009
    ITH/09/4.COM/CONF.209/INF.7: English|French
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