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/24/19.COM 2.BUR/3 as well as International Assistance request no. 02229, submitted by Belize, Costa Rica Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras (coordinating State), Nicaragua and Panama,
3. Takes note that Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama have requested International Assistance for the project entitled Exchange of experiences and cultural dialogues for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendant peoples through the preparation of inventories in the SICA region and Cuba:

To be implemented by the Central American Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC/SICA) in cooperation with the Regional Center for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL) and with the involvement of the Central American Black Organization (ONECA), this eighteen-month multinational project aims to build collective and participatory knowledge on the processes of inventorying the living heritage of Afro-descendant peoples. It builds on a first project started in February 2023 (scheduled to be completed by August 2024), which has supported the establishment and capacity building of national living heritage management units, the mapping of safeguarding initiatives in the States Parties concerned and the preparation of project proposals for national inventories. As a second phase of this project, the new project will continue to apply a regional and intersectoral approach in the nine submitting countries to: (a) further build the capacities of officials and community bearers and leaders in inventorying living heritage; (b) draw-up inventories of living heritage; and (c) share experiences among the participating communities and countries. Activities include virtual workshops, in-person meetings and online technical support for developing national inventorying projects. At the community level, the project is expected to strengthen the safeguarding capacities of community bearers and leaders, while setting the foundation for future safeguarding projects, policies, and measures at the state level. At the regional level, it will serve as a model for multinational projects and may contribute, in a long run, to the creation of a regional observatory of intangible cultural heritage of African descent.

4. Further takes note that this assistance aims to support a project implemented at the regional level, in accordance with Article 20 (c) of the Convention, and that it takes the form of the provision of a grant, pursuant to Article 21 (g) of the Convention;
5. Also takes note that the requesting States have requested an allocation of US$99,990 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of the project;
6. Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 02229, 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 request is a continuation of the ongoing project ‘Capacity building for community leaders and public managers to safeguard the living heritage of Afro-descendant communities in the SICA region and Cuba’ (see criterion A.7 below). The project has established a common conceptual and methodological framework for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendant communities in the nine countries concerned. Community representatives played an active role in the implementation of this first phase, in particular through mapping and the elaboration of safeguarding initiatives for intangible cultural heritage elements of Afro-descendant communities. Based on the results obtained so far, the objective of the second phase of the project in question focuses on the elaboration of national inventories of the living heritage of Afro-descendant communities in the nine countries concerned. In this regard, the involvement of the Central America Black Organization (ONECA) will ensure that the voices of Afro-descendant communities are heard and respected.

Criterion A.2: The budget is presented in a structured manner, reflecting the planned activities and related expenses. The amount of assistance requested may therefore be considered as appropriate for the implementation of the proposed activities.

Criterion A.3: The proposed activities consist of a series of workshops, online and in-person, to train the beneficiary communities, officials and experts from the nine requesting States Parties on the inventorying of living heritage. Activities will be undertaken with the support of the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL) and include upstream advice and the organization of national meetings (one in each country). A final regional workshop will bring together all the stakeholders to share the results of the national inventories, discuss ways forward and develop a third phase of the project aimed at disseminating the results of the first two phases throughout the region. The activities are presented in a logical sequence and correspond to the objectives and expected results outlined in the request.

Criterion A.4: Through the project, the implementing agency and the nine requesting States Parties are expected to continue to strengthen the institutional and multi-stakeholders’ framework initially set up by the Council of Ministers of Culture of the SICA region and Cuba in the first phase of the project for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendant peoples. Moreover, the results of the national inventories and the information gathered during the project will constitute an important source of documentation on living heritage that may lead to the creation of a regional observatory. Lastly, the project should raise awareness among the population of the requesting States Parties of the importance of the living heritage of Afro-descendant communities, thereby contributing to an increased recognition of this heritage and its future safeguarding.

Criterion A.5: The requesting States Parties will contribute 66 per cent (US$284,590) and other partners will contribute 11 per cent (US$48,250) of the total amount of the project budget (US$432,830). Consequently, International Assistance is requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the remaining 23 per cent of the total amount of the project.

Criterion A.6: The request adequately describes how the project will contribute to building capacities to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendants. It will strengthen the capacity of sixty-four representatives from Afro-descendant community-based organizations and twenty-seven staff from departments dedicated to intangible cultural heritage in the nine States Parties. Nearly one hundred individuals will participate in the various activities and will benefit from various training sessions, notably on inventorying. They will become resource persons equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to continue the inventory work and other safeguarding efforts at the national and regional level beyond the end of the project. Women’s participation will be ensured throughout the project.

Criterion A.7: The requesting States Parties have benefitted from International Assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for one ongoing multinational project entitled ‘Capacity building for community leaders and public managers to safeguard the living heritage of Afro-descendant communities in the SICA region and Cuba’ (file no. 02010, February 2023 – August 2024, US$99,986) approved by the Bureau of the seventeenth session of the Committee (Decision 17.COM 5.BUR 3.1). The work stipulated in the contract related to this project is being carried out in accordance with UNESCO regulations.

Paragraph 10(a): The proposed activities are regional in scope and involve cooperation with local and national implementing partners, including Ministries of Culture of the States Parties involved and their intangible cultural heritage departments, the Technical Secretariat of the Central American Educational and Cultural Coordination of the Central American Cultural Integration System (CECC/SICA), ONECA and CRESPIAL.

Paragraph 10(b): The project is expected to encourage national governments to incorporate the inventoried Afro-descendant living heritage into their safeguarding plans and frameworks and provide the basis for future updating of national inventories. The documentation and the materials collected during the two phases of the project are expected to constitute important resources for the future regional observatory.

7. Approves the International Assistance request from Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama for the project entitled Exchange of experiences and cultural dialogues for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendant peoples through the preparation of inventories in the SICA region and Cuba, and grants the amount of US$99,990 for the implementation of this project;
8. Commends the continued commitment of the nine requesting States as well as the SICA, CRESPIAL and ONECA – including financially – to promote the multi-country integration process in Central America, while highlighting the importance of the living heritage of Afro-descendant communities with reference to the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024);
9. Requests that the Secretariat reach an agreement with the requesting States Parties on the technical details of the assistance (and to issue the contract once the ongoing project has been completed), 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 requesting States Parties to use Form ICH-04-Report to report on the use of the assistance granted.