The Bureau,

1. 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,
2. Having examined document LHE/21/16.COM 2.BUR/3 as well as International Assistance request no. 01809 submitted by Pakistan,
3. Takes note that Pakistan has requested International Assistance for the project entitled Community-based inventorying and capacity building of indigenous communities for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces:

To be implemented jointly by the UNESCO Office in Islamabad and the National Heritage and Culture Division (NHCD) of the Government of Pakistan, this twenty-four-month project has been designed in collaboration with the communities concerned. The main objective of the project is to enhance the capacities of communities and stakeholders to safeguard intangible culture heritage for sustainable development in the regions of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for the Thari and Kalasha communities, respectively. These communities are geographically remote and not connected to the social, cultural, economic and technological mechanisms of support in Pakistan. Consequently, they have been historically disadvantaged when seeking assistance for their own sustainable development needs. In this context, this project aims to empower communities to play an active role in studying their culture and placing their knowledge in broader spheres of action such as education. To achieve this goal, three main activities will be developed: (a) community-based inventories based on similar work previously conducted by UNESCO and the NHCD; (b) development of pedagogical tools to connect educational institutions with indigenous traditions, in order to enhance their transmission through academic discourse; and (c) capacity building of bearers and relevant organizations to promote economic growth and improve income-generating opportunities. Moreover, this project is expected to increase the number of intangible cultural heritage experts in the country while enhancing the analytical skills of teachers and communities for documenting living heritage.

4. Further takes note that:
   1. this assistance aims to support a project implemented at the local level, in accordance with Article 20 (c) of the Convention;
   2. the State Party has requested International Assistance that will take the form of services from the UNESCO to the State; and

• the assistance therefore takes the form of services from UNESCO (100 per cent of the financial transactions to be managed by UNESCO), pursuant to Article 21 (b), (c), (d), (f) and (g) of the Convention;

5. Also takes note that Pakistan has requested assistance in the amount of US$99,990 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of this project, which will be implemented by the UNESCO Office in Islamabad in close cooperation with the National Heritage and Culture Division of the Government of Pakistan;
6. Understands that the UNESCO Office in Islamabad will be responsible for the management of the total amount requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, while the requesting State will be responsible for co-managing the project, renting premises for consultations, steering committee meetings and trainings throughout the project, and providing national facilitators for the training on the community-based inventory, the training for teachers on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and the training for community representatives on harnessing intangible cultural heritage for economic benefit. All the above activities will be financed by the State Party's contribution, as described in the request.
7. Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 01809, 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: This project intends to address the interest expressed by communities in safeguarding their intangible cultural heritage during the implementation of the Heritage and Sustainable Tourism project in 2018–2019 and the community-based inventory held from 2015 to 2017 by the Kalasha community. Furthermore, the current project involves representatives from the Thari and Kalasha communities, and other stakeholders such as academic institutions and governmental institutions.

Criterion A.2: In general, the budget is presented clearly, demonstrating a balanced allocation of resources for each of the planned activities. However, more detailed information should be provided for certain items of expenditure, such as those related to the subcontracting costs for inventorying, pedagogical tools, exhibitions and capacity-building training for tradition bearers.

Criterion A.3: The proposed activities are well-planned and coherent in terms of the objectives, project’s activities and expected outcomes. The activities interconnect all the stakeholders involved in the project to safeguard the defined practices.

Criterion A.4: The project builds on the results of earlier projects on cultural heritage and sustainable development, which gives reassurance as to the broader sustainability of the project results. The project foresees capacity-building and awareness-raising activities for multiple stakeholders, including living heritage bearers and academic and governmental institutions. The pedagogical tools developed during the project will be a mandatory part of the university curricula. This will ensure that the lessons learned about the living heritage of the communities involved will be utilized beyond the duration of the project. Moreover, creating networks between indigenous communities and academic scholars will strengthen cooperation towards safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of ethnic groups.

Criterion A.5: The submitting State Party will contribute 5 per cent of the total amount of the project for which International Assistance is requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund.

Criterion A.6: The project places a strong emphasis on building the capacities of communities and stakeholders. As result of this process, training and pedagogical tools will be produced to strengthen knowledge and awareness on identifying and safeguarding the living heritage of the Thari and Kalasha communities.

Criterion A.7: Pakistan 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 to be implemented at the local level and involves partners such as the National Heritage and Culture Division, the region’s academic sector, heritage foundations and civil associations.

Paragraph 10(b): As part of the multiplier effects of the project, it is expected to involve the media and dissemination of the implementation process and results. This will enable the public to learn more about the intangible cultural heritage of the Thari and Kalasha communities.

8. Approves the International Assistance request from Pakistan for the project entitled Community-based inventorying and capacity building of indigenous communities for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces and grants the amount of US$99,990 to the State Party for the implementation of this project according to the modality described in paragraphs 5 and 6;
9. Requests that the Secretariat reach an agreement with the requesting State Party on the technical details of the assistance, paying particular attention to ensuring that the budget and the work plan of the activities to be covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund are detailed and specific enough to provide a sufficient justification of all the expenditures;
10. Invites the State Party to use Form ICH-04-Report to report on the use of the assistance granted.