Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 17.COM 6.a.16

The Committee,

  1. Having examined document LHE/22/17.COM/6.a Rev.,
  2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decisions 4.COM 14.07, 9.COM 5.b.3, 13.COM 7.b.8,
  3. Expresses its thanks to Latvia for submitting, on time, its third report on the status of the element ‘Suiti cultural space’, inscribed in 2009 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
  4. Takes note of the continued efforts undertaken by Latvia to safeguard the element and, in particular, to support safeguarding efforts via digital platforms;
  5. Invites the State Party to continue giving the Suiti community and its associations a central role in planning and implementing the safeguarding initiatives;
  6. Encourages the State Party to continue developing entrepreneurship and creative industries, bearing in mind the possible negative impacts that over-commercialization could have on the social and cultural functions and meanings of the element;
  7. Further takes note of the concerns raised by segments of the Suiti community on the impact of the administrative territorial reform implemented in 2021 and the response given by the national authorities;
  8. Further invites the State Party to implement planned and additional safeguarding measures at the state and local levels to ensure the viability of the Suiti culture and its transmission, particularly with regards to education, financial support, and socio-economic development;
  9. Requests that the Secretariat inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2025 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.

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