The Bureau,

1. Recalling Chapter V of the Convention as well as Chapter I.4 of the Operational Directives relating to the eligibility and selection criteria of International Assistance requests,
2. Having examined document LHE/26/21.COM 3.BUR/3 as well as International Assistance request no. 02602 submitted by Iraq,
3. Takes note that Iraq has requested International Assistance for the project entitled Safeguarding Iraqi Santur: craftsmanship, performance and transmission:

To be implemented by the Music Arts Directorate of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, this eighteen-month community-based project aims to safeguard the craftsmanship and performance skills related to Santur, a traditional plucked string instrument, whose viability has been increasingly threatened by successive conflicts, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the advanced age of bearers, and the weakening of intergenerational transmission. The Santur instrument is associated with the art of Iraqi maqam, an element inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. In addition to training, documentation and inventorying activities, the project entails creating and equipping a Santur-making workshop to support subsequent transmission and safeguarding activities. To ensure its long-term sustainability, the project will develop a digital archive as well as a structured training curriculum for educational and cultural institutions. Activities will be primarily implemented in Baghdad, while actively engaging practitioners and trainees from other governorates. The project will focus on enhancing visibility, strengthening community identity, and encouraging youth engagement, through public awareness-raising activities, media outreach and a national Santur festival. By establishing a sustainable system for training and knowledge transmission, this project is expected to offer a technical guide that other institutions and communities can adopt to implement similar initiatives.

4. Further takes note that this assistance aims to support a project implemented at the national 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 Iraq has requested an allocation of US$99,840 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of the project;
6. Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 02602, 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: The communities, bearers and practitioners associated with the craftsmanship and musical performance of the Santur participated in the elaboration of the request. Consultation meetings were conducted with Santur makers, performers, music teachers and representatives of cultural institutions to identify the main challenges affecting the viability of the element as well as to define their safeguarding needs. Artisans will be engaged as resource persons to transmit knowledge and skills related to the Santur craftsmanship, while professional performers and music educators will ensure the transmission of performance practices. In addition, youth and students from different Iraqi governorates will be involved as apprentices. Gender balance will be ensured in the selection of trainees, experts and participants, with a view to enhancing the participation of women and their role in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. The project emphasizes the central and active role of communities throughout its implementation, from planning to monitoring, evaluation and follow-up.

Criterion A.2: The budget breakdown and the proposed timetable are well structured and in line with the activities described in the request. The amount of assistance requested is deemed appropriate.

Criterion A.3: The project is composed of five activities: (a) stakeholder engagement and institutional coordination; (b) establishment of a specialized Santur-making workshop; (c) vocational training on Santur craftsmanship and skills transmission; (d) community-based inventorying and documentation; and (e) musical training and transmission. The proposed activities are clearly described and correspond to the objectives and expected results outlined in the request.

Criterion A.4: The project is expected to enhance both the visibility and viability of the element. The proposed activities address key threats, including the declining number of bearers and artisans, the lack of documentation and training materials, and the reduced interest among younger generations. The request identifies four main long-term results: (a) the transmission of knowledge and skills through the training of a new generation of Santur makers and performers; (b) research and documentation activities contributing to establishing the inventory of the element; (c) the integration of Santur training into the programmes of educational and musical institutions in Iraq; and (d) the creation of income-generating opportunities for artisans and performers through their participation in cultural events.

Criterion A.5: The requesting State Party will contribute 13 per cent (US$15,000) of the total amount of the project for International Assistance (US$114,840). Consequently, International Assistance is requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the remaining 87 per cent of the total amount of the project.

Criterion A.6: The request clearly describes how the project will significantly contribute to capacity building in various ways. The training courses in craftsmanship will enable artisans and practitioners to share and disseminate their knowledge and skills with the community, including youth. Ten apprentices will be trained in the crafting and maintenance of the instrument. In addition, artists will share their expertise and skills of Santur and the art of Iraqi maqam with ten selected young students, ensuring the intergenerational transmission of the practice. The project will also strengthen capacities at the institutional level, as it will contribute to enhancing the skills of the staff at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities in inventorying and developing safeguarding methodologies.

Criterion A.7: The requesting State Party has not previously received any financial assistance from UNESCO under the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund of the 2003 Convention to implement safeguarding activities in the field of intangible cultural heritage.

Paragraph 10(a): The project is national in scope and involves many governmental and national institutions, including the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection and Safeguarding Centre, the International Centre for Music Studies, the Institute of Music Studies, the Ballet and Music School, the Iraqi musicians association and Iraqi artists unions.

Paragraph 10(b): The project’s strength lies in the establishment of an apprenticeship programme, which will contribute to the viability and visibility of the element through its integration into the Music Arts Directorate. In addition, the project could raise interest from the public and private sectors for further funding beyond its completion.

7. Approves the International Assistance request from Iraq for the project entitled Safeguarding Iraqi Santur: craftsmanship, performance and transmission, and grants the amount of US$99,840 for the implementation of this project;
8. Commends the State Party for the submission of its first International Assistance request;
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 requesting State Party to use Form ICH-04-Report to report on the use of the assistance granted.