The Bureau,

1. Recalling Chapter V of the Convention and Chapter I of the Operational Directives, concerning the approval of international assistance requests,
2. Having examined Document ITH/14/9.COM 4.BUR/1 as well as the international assistance request 00599,
3. Takes note that Viet Nam has requested international assistance in the amount of US$24,310 for a project entitled ‘Safeguarding the oral traditions and expressions of the Dzao people of Lao Cai and Lai Chau Provinces of Viet Nam’:

The Dzao in Lao Cai and Lai Chau Provinces live mainly near the northern border with China. With only one or two villagers in each village who can still sing folk songs and speak the traditional language, the oral traditions and expressions of the Dzao people are severely endangered. Folk songs, tales, lullabies, proverbs and riddles are also disappearing due to the advanced age of those who recite them and to the working and school environment of young Dzao where Vietnamese language prevails. The proposed project aims at establishing an overview of the current use of the Dzao language and its associated oral traditions, elaborating written and audiovisual materials and teaching children, young people and women about this intangible cultural heritage. Undertaken by several specialized departments of the Vietnam Association of Folklorists, the project will actively involve village chiefs, elders and craftspeople in all its components from a survey conducted in thirty villages and the elaboration of training curricula and programmes to training courses and the recording of oral traditions associated with different times of life of Dzao people.

4. Decides that, from the information provided in file 00599, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance given in Paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:
   1. Each component of the project involves the active participation of the communities concerned: village chiefs, elders and craftspeople would act not only as information providers in inventorying Dzao oral traditions and expressions and designing training curricula but also as quality controllers, while young people from six to fifteen years old would benefit from the trainings on Dzao oral traditions (criterion A.1).
   2. Although there is a minor calculation error in the amount requested, overall the budget is presented in sufficient detail and activities are carefully broken down into clearly identified and budgeted expenditure items (criterion A.2). There is coherence between the budget itself, the activities planned and the timetable proposed. The team for implementing the project is clearly identified, as is the division of tasks and implementing strategy (criterion A.3). The project is designed to have lasting results, with its outputs, in particular Video CDs, remaining with the craftspeople of the Dzao villages who will use them as training supports for their own classes in which they will teach new trainees about Dzao oral traditions and expressions (criterion A.4).
   3. Although more detailed and concrete information could have been provided on how the proposed programme will reinforce the communities’ capacities and strengthen their ability to safeguard and transmit those traditions, the request demonstrates how it would reinforce the research skills of the concerned departments of the Vietnam Association of Folklorist, as the implementing agency (criterion A.6).
   4. The State Party shares 10% of the cost of the activities for which international assistance is requested (criterion A.5). Viet Nam already benefitted from financial support for the safeguarding plans of the two elements that were inscribed on the Representative List in 2008, a UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust project for the ‘Nha Nhac, Vietnamese court music’ (2005-2009) and a UNESCO/Norway Funds-in-Trust project for the ‘Space of gong culture’. It also received preparatory assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the elaboration of two nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding for ‘Ca trù singing’ (inscribed in 2009) and ‘Xoan singing of Phú Thọ Province’ (inscribed in 2011), as well as two international assistances: a first one in 2012 for a project entitled ‘Capacity building in designing, implementing and evaluating intangible cultural heritage projects in Viet Nam’ that was completed in February 2014 and a second one in 2013 for a project entitled ‘Safeguarding and promotion of indigenous knowledge associated with the ecological environment of the Black Ha Nhi in Lao Cai Province, Viet Nam’ (granted by the Bureau in 2013) that is expected to be completed in September 2015. Up to now, Viet Nam has provided the work stipulated by the terms of reference of the contracts signed under these projects, in line with UNESCO’s regulations (criterion A.7).
5. Approves, as authorized body, the international assistance request from Viet Nam for ‘Safeguarding the oral traditions and expressions of the Dzao people of Lao Cai and Lai Chau Provinces of Viet Nam’ (No. 00910) for a revised amount of US$24,350;
6. Requests the Secretariat to reach agreement with the requesting State Party on the technical details of the assistance.