Guidance Note on Inventorying Intangible Cultural Heritage

The guidance note on inventorying intangible cultural heritage has been developed to advise States Parties, non-governmental organizations and communities on the process of inventorying intangible cultural heritage and the preparation of inventories of elements of intangible cultural heritage. It is intended neither as a step-by-step guide nor as a checklist, but rather as a list of issues to be considered prior to and during the inventorying process.

The guiding principles and recommendations contained in this note are meant to inspire States Parties when drawing up new inventories of intangible cultural heritage or revising existing ones. They underline that the process of inventorying is as, if not more, important than the output, i.e. the inventory itself. The note also seeks to clarify the importance of inventorying as a prerequisite for the nomination of elements to the Lists of the Convention, more specifically in response to a decision of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2015 (Decision 10.COM 10).

Guidance Note on Inventorying Intangible Cultural Heritage (English|French|Spanish)