Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 20.COM 7

The Committee,

  1. Recalling Chapter I of the Operational Directives, as well as the outcomes of the global reflection on the listing mechanisms as outlined in document LHE/24/19.COM/7,
  2. Having examined documents LHE/25/20.COM/7, LHE/25/20.COM/7.a, LHE/25/20.COM/7.b, LHE/25/20.COM/7.c, and LHE/25/20.COM/7.d, as well as the files submitted by the respective States Parties,
  3. Expresses its satisfaction with the work of the Evaluation Body, thanks its members for the pertinence of the present report and their efforts to continue implementing the results of the global reflection on the listing mechanisms, and appreciates the assistance of the Secretariat in facilitating the work of the Evaluation Body;
  4. Congratulates those States Parties that have submitted nominations for the first time or presented nominations that could serve as good examples for future nominations, and notes with satisfaction the overall improvement in the quality of files;
  5. Takes note that the nominations treated under the 2025 cycle represents a balanced geographical representation, demonstrating the increased capacities and engagement of States Parties and communities across all regions;
  6. Further takes note of the high number of nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding examined under this cycle, and encourages States Parties to pursue their efforts to strengthen the viability of intangible cultural heritage whose viability is at risk;
  7. Recalls that the designations employed in the texts and documents presented by the submitting States Parties do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Committee nor UNESCO concerning a) the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, b) the legal status of its authorities, c) the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or d) references to specific historical events;

Working methods

  1. Also takes note of the Evaluation Body’s experience with the assessment of files under this second cycle following the global reflection on the listing mechanisms, and reiterates the need to continue monitoring the increased workload of the Evaluation Body, the Committee and the Secretariat, particularly as regards multinational nominations and files treated outside the annual ceiling;
  2. Expresses its continued appreciation for the Evaluation Body’s efforts to make the broadest possible use of the dialogue process, contributing towards achieving greater geographical balance in the listing mechanisms of the Convention, and encourages the Evaluation Body to continue this approach;
  3. Welcomes the progress made in the operationalization of the possibility to transfer inscribed elements from one list to the other and the simultaneous inclusion of the related safeguarding experience in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices in the sense of paragraph 39.3 of the Operational Directives, as a complementary way to enrich the selection of successful safeguarding approaches and increase the visibility of the Register and its interconnectedness with the Lists of the Convention, and recommends its articulation with the online platform developed for broader implementation of Article 18 of the Convention;

Thematic issues

  1. Appreciates the efforts of States Parties to fully take advantage of the outcomes of the global reflection on the listing mechanisms, in particular to bring the voices of communities to the fore through a diversity of written and audiovisual formats, and demonstrate the significance of living heritage through its contribution to sustainable development;
  2. Reminds States Parties that nominations to the listing mechanisms of the Convention are addressed to a global audience and that utmost care should be taken in their preparation, including in the name and description of elements and audiovisual materials, to avoid provoking misunderstanding among communities, to refrain from statements that could imply claims of exclusive ownership and to ensure that due respect is paid for the sensitivities of others at the international level;
  3. Highlights the dedication of communities and diversity of technical skills in the ‘practice by hand’ of a large number of elements proposed in the present cycle’s files, particularly living heritage elements linked to musical instruments, performing arts, foodways and festive celebrations in an inclusive sense of togetherness, while appreciating the indexing analysis undertaken to understand the themes that can characterise the 2025 cycle.

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