The purpose of the meeting was to study various inventory‐making methodologies and to debate issues to be taken into account when preparing the implementation of the 2003 Convention. Indeed, the characteristics of various systems already under elaboration or in place were studied and compared during the meeting, as were the different approaches and experiences of Member States, regions and disciplines. The debates and the conclusions of the meeting will contribute substantially to the elaboration of thematic manuals on the safeguarding of the ICH. The experts took part in the meeting in their personal capacities; they did not represent – unless they explicitly stated otherwise – official positions of their countries.
The 30 participating experts were selected among researchers, representatives of custodian communities, civil servants working in local and national administrations, as well as from relevant NGOs. Most of them came from countries that had already acquired experience in preparing one or more inventories of ICH.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was also invited, as were observers from UNESCO Member States, in particular those that had already ratified the Convention or that had shown a special interest in UNESCO’s programmes in the field of ICH. Some 50 observers attended all or part of the meeting. There were four plenary working sessions, each of which was introduced by a keynote presentation.

Final report (English|French)