At the time of growing interest surrounding the development of a national cultural policy in Belize, UNESCO has launched under its global strategy, a two and a half year project that will help the country safeguard its living heritage.

Thanks to funding from Japan, Belize is one of three Caribbean countries, along with Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago that will benefit from this safeguarding initiative. With nation-wide consultations ensuing with the development of its national cultural policy, the project is rather timely for Belize. It will follow the development of the ICH related policy and help to bridge the way forward.

On the 5 to 9 November at the House of Culture in Belize City, community bearers of intangible cultural heritage along with officials of the National Institute of Culture and History, non-governmental representatives and cultural experts will come together to partake in a workshop on the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The next step to follow is the development and implementation of a framework for community based inventory of the intangible cultural heritage in Belize, which is slated for 2013.