The Bureau,
- Recalling Article 23 of the Convention as well as chapter I.1 of the Operational Directives related to the inscription of intangible cultural heritage elements on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and I.4 related to eligibility and selection criteria of international assistance requests,
- Having examined Document ITH/14/9.COM 4.BUR/2 as well as the request for preparatory assistance No. 01052 submitted by Morocco,
- Takes note that Morocco has requested international assistance in the amount of US$14,600 to elaborate a nomination to the Urgent Safeguarding List of Taskiwine, Amazighe dance and songs of western High Atlas. The Taskiwin songs and dances are performed by the Touramat and Tigouliane rural communities of the province of Taroudant in the north and south slopes of the Western High Atlas. The Targa-Aide association will be responsible for elaborating the nomination file in close collaboration with the communities, groups and individuals concerned, elected councillors, the Directorate of Cultural Heritage and researchers from the University of Ibn Zuhr Agadir, the Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taraudant and the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage;
- Decides that, from the information provided in file 01052, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance given in Paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:
The State Party is determined to involve the representatives of the concerned communities in drawing up a preliminary inventory of the Taskiwine dance and songs, choosing the photographs and elaborating the script of the film as well as in establishing a diagnosis of the current state of viability of the element and designing adequate safeguarding measures (criterion A.1). The proposed timetable reflects preparatory activities for elaborating the nomination that seem well planned and feasible (criterion A.3).
Despite a minor inconsistency in the total amount of funds requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund and a lack of budgetary details regarding the production of a documentary film and the services of the experts who will draft the nomination form, the amount of assistance requested seems appropriate (criterion A.2). The different planned public consultations and the community involvement in fieldwork should provide frameworks for capacity-building (criterion A.6) which may have results in the short and medium term (criterion A.4). The State Party proposes to share 10% of the costs of the activities for which preparatory assistance is requested while the implementing agency proposed to share 18% of such costs (criterion A.5). Morocco is currently one of the beneficiary countries of a regional capacity-building programme financed by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund thanks to a voluntary contribution from Norway; the implementing agency has previously carried out work in compliance with UNESCO’s regulations (criterion A.7).
- Approves, as authorized body, the preparatory assistance request No 01052 for a revised amount of US$14,100;
- Requests the Secretariat to reach agreement with the requesting State Party on the technical details of the preparatory assistance, including a revised timetable and detailed budget.