DECISION 13.COM 3.BUR 4.1
The Bureau,
- Recalling Article 23 of the Convention as well as Chapter I.4 of the Operational Directives relating to the eligibility and criteria of International Assistance requests,
- Having examined Document ITH/18/13.COM 3.BUR/4 as well as International Assistance request no. 01426 submitted by Saint Kitts and Nevis,
- Takes note that Saint Kitts and Nevis has requested International Assistance for the project entitled Strengthening inventory preparation capacity for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in St. Kitts and Nevis:
The proposed twenty-four-month project, to be jointly implemented by the Saint Kitts Department of Culture and the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean, is aimed at strengthening national inventorying capacities with a view to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Due to the combined situation of knowledge bearers growing old and, in some cases, passing away without transmitting their knowledge, the survival of cultural traditions that have contributed to the country’s national identity is threatened. In this context, the proposed project aims to build awareness about the 2003 Convention and the current state of living heritage in the country, enhance capacities to properly document and inventory it, identify elements in need of urgent safeguarding, and provide educational materials for practitioners and communities concerned. To this end, key activities include: conducting national and community-level workshops to raise awareness about the Convention and on community-based inventorying; completing a pilot inventorying exercise on living heritage elements recognized by the communities; and carrying out a national media campaign to raise awareness about the Convention. The project is also expected to help expand, reinforce and amend existing safeguarding measures, where necessary.
- Further takes note that:
- this assistance is to support a project implemented at the national level, in accordance with Article 20 (c) of the Convention;
- the State Party has requested International Assistance that will partly take the form of services from the Secretariat to the State; and
- the assistance therefore takes the form of the provision of a grant and of services from UNESCO (the provision of experts, the training of the necessary staff, the development of standard-setting measures and the supply of equipment), pursuant to Article 21(b), (c), (d), (f) and (g) of the Convention;
- Also takes note that an amount of US$99,443 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund is being requested for the implementation of this project, which will be jointly implemented by Saint Kitts and Nevis and the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean;
- Understands that the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean will be responsible for the provision of international expertise for capacity-building activities and the establishment of the related contracts (24 per cent of the requested amount), while the requesting State will be responsible for the logistical organization of capacity-building activities, the provision of national experts, the pilot inventorying exercises, the awareness-raising campaign and the purchase of equipment (76 per cent of the requested amount), as described in the request;
- Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 01426, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance given in paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:
Criterion A.1: During the preparation phase of the request, consultation meetings were held with key stakeholders and local communities. This process included youth, representatives of communities, bearers of intangible cultural heritage, governmental officials, the private sector and personnel from the culture field. It is also foreseen that these stakeholders will be involved throughout the project, notably through an online platform which has been created as a means to ensure their participation, in particular in the pilot inventorying exercises.
Criterion A.2: The budget is well thought-out and structured to support the different components of the project and the overall amount of assistance requested seems appropriate with regard to the objectives and scope of the project.
Criterion A.3: The request is clearly organized and includes a series of activities that are well-conceived and presented in a logical sequence, from training workshops on the core principles of the Convention and community-based inventorying, to pilot inventorying exercises. At least fifty persons will be trained (thirty from the island of St. Kitts and twenty from the island of Nevis) in community-based inventorying techniques. A national awareness-raising campaign is also foreseen, including a media campaign and a seminar presenting the results of the project with the participation of community bearers. The expected results seem to be achievable within the proposed project duration and timetable.
Criterion A.4: The capacity-building workshops and pilot inventories projects are intended to provide participants, comprising community representatives, cultural stakeholders and national authorities, with the methodological tools and skills needed to continue working on the management and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage within their communities. This approach should enable them to develop and present additional safeguarding initiatives to various potential partners in the future. Furthermore, the project is expected to lay the foundations for the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Criterion A.5: The requesting State will share 60 per cent of the overall budget (64 per cent of which as an in-kind contribution) of the project for which International Assistance is requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund.
Criterion A.6: The project mainly aims to reinforce capacities in the field of intangible cultural heritage at two different levels. At the community level, community members will be sensitized and trained to inventory their living heritage, while at the institutional level, the project will strengthen the capacities of government officials from the Ministry of Culture and local officials from Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Criterion A.7: The State Party has not previously received any financial assistance from UNESCO under the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund of the 2003 Convention to implement similar or related activities in the field of intangible cultural heritage.
Paragraph 10(a): The project is national in scope and involves a wide range of national and local implementing partners, including the St. Kitts Department of Culture-Research and Documentation Unit, the Nevis Historical Conservation Society, the Nevis Cultural Development Foundation and the communities associated with the elements of intangible cultural heritage inventoried.
Paragraph 10(b): The project is expected to trigger additional contributions from the State Party’s national budget for the implementation of a national strategy for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Saint Kitts and Nevis, including the creation of the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Furthermore, the dissemination of the results and experiences of the project at the national level through the online platform and the promotional campaign could inspire similar efforts in the country.
- Approves the International Assistance request from Saint Kitts and Nevis for the project entitled Strengthening inventory preparation capacity for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in St. Kitts and Nevis and grants the amount of US$99,443 for the implementation of this project according to the modality described in paragraph 5 and 6;
- Takes notes of the positive experience of the technical assistance provided to Saint Kitts and Nevis in finalizing this request, and invites the State Party to capitalize on the skills of the staff who directly benefited from this assistance;
- Requests that the Secretariat reach an agreement with the requesting State Party on the budget of the activities to be covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, so as to ensure that the planned budgetary expenses are detailed and specific enough to provide a sufficient justification of the expenditures;
- Invites the State Party to use Form ICH-04-Report when reporting on the implementation of the project, which shall form the basis of an overall report to be prepared by the UNESCO Kingston Office.