The Committee,

1. Having examined document LHE/25/20.COM/6.a,
2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decision COM 8.a.3 and Decision 18.COM 7.a.5;
3. Expresses its appreciation to Egypt for submitting, on time, its second biennial report on the status of the element ‘Handmade weaving in Upper Egypt (Sa’eed)’, inscribed in 2020 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
4. Takes note of the efforts undertaken by the State Party to safeguard the element, in particular by enhancing its visibility at annual fairs and exhibitions, raising awareness through formal education, and transmitting knowledge and skills via non-formal training targeting younger generations;
5. Commends the State Party for maintaining and further developing a solid network of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, as well as for adopting participatory approaches in the preparation of the periodic report and the updated safeguarding plan;
6. Further encourages the State Party to continue the documentation and research projects, and to continue to develop its safeguarding strategy by elaborating on the measures, processes, interventions and evaluation methods, including efforts to understand changes in the element’s popularity and its distribution across geographical areas and social groups;
7. Invites the State Party to identify and address structural barriers affecting the viability of the element, to improve the financial sustainability of the safeguarding plan, and to expand promotion and networking beyond presentational activities, to continue training programmes, and to formulate expected results with relevant indicators to assess the impact and effectiveness of safeguarding actions.