Browse the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices

The Committee meets annually to evaluate nominations proposed by States Parties to the 2003 Convention and decide whether or not to inscribe those cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage on the Convention’s Lists.

By clicking on the inscribed elements listed below, you can discover the nominations, photos and videos, together with Committee decisions and evidence of community consent.

You may also experience a conceptual, visual and interactive navigation through ‘Dive into Intangible Cultural Heritage’ interfaces which demonstrate the thematic interconnectedness between all the elements inscribed and their relation to nature or to threats.


The designations employed in the texts and documents of the nomination presented by the submitting State Party or 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 or c) the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.







More criteria

Results : 98 elements corresponding to 5 regions and 68 countries
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2023

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Traditional knowledge, methods and practices concerning olive cultivationTürkiye

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Garba of GujaratIndia
Nguon, rituals of governance and associated expressions in the Bamoun communityCameroon

2021

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Cultural practices and expressions linked to the 'M’Bolon', a traditional musical percussion instrumentMali
Tais, traditional textileTimor-Leste

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Al-Qudoud al-HalabiyaSyrian Arab Republic
Cultural Heritage of Boka Navy Kotor: a festive representation of a memory and cultural identityMontenegro
Durga Puja in KolkataIndia
FalakTajikistan
Festive cycle around the devotion and worship towards Saint John the Baptist Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Malagasy Kabary, the Malagasy oratorical artMadagascar
SongketMalaysia
TbouridaMorocco

2020

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Aboxan Musik ǀŌb ǂÂns tsî ǁKhasigu, ancestral musical sound knowledge and skillsNamibia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Art of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi, the finger-plucking traditional musical instrument in Malawi and ZimbabweMalawi – Zimbabwe
Charfia fishing in the Kerkennah IslandsTunisia
Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscousAlgeria – Mauritania – Morocco – Tunisia
Practices and traditional knowledge of Terere in the culture of Pohã Ñana, Guaraní ancestral drink in ParaguayParaguay
Tree beekeeping culturePoland – Belarus

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Craft techniques and customary practices of cathedral workshops, or Bauhütten, in Europe, know-how, transmission, development of knowledge and innovationGermany – Austria – France – Norway – Switzerland

2019

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Traditional Turkish archeryTürkiye

2018

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Suri Jagek (observing the sun), traditional meteorological and astronomical practice based on the observation of the sun, moon and stars in reference to the local topographyPakistan

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Tamboradas drum-playing ritualsSpain

2017

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Mongolian traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sitesMongolia
Taskiwin, martial dance of the western High AtlasMorocco

2016

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Ma'di bowl lyre music and danceUganda

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, Geet-GawaiMauritius
Oshi Palav, a traditional meal and its social and cultural contexts in TajikistanTajikistan

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Festival of folklore in Koprivshtitsa: a system of practices for heritage presentation and transmissionBulgaria

2015

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosityUnited Arab Emirates – Saudi Arabia – Oman – Qatar
Oshituthi shomagongo, marula fruit festivalNamibia
Three genres of traditional dance in BaliIndonesia

2014

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Male-child cleansing ceremony of the Lango of central northern UgandaUganda

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Capoeira circleBrazil
Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in ArmeniaArmenia
Mongolian knuckle-bone shootingMongolia
Nongak, community band music, dance and rituals in the Republic of KoreaRepublic of Korea
Practices and expressions of joking relationships in NigerNiger
Ritual and ceremonies of Sebeïba in the oasis of Djanet, AlgeriaAlgeria
Traditional agricultural practice of cultivating the ‘vite ad alberello’ (head-trained bush vines) of the community of PantelleriaItaly

2013

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Empaako tradition of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of western UgandaUganda
Nan Pa’ch ceremonyGuatemala

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Knowledge, skills and rituals related to the annual renewal of the Q’eswachaka bridgePeru
Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of ManipurIndia
Xooy, a divination ceremony among the Serer of Senegal Senegal

2012

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir, IndiaIndia
Qālišuyān rituals of Mašhad-e Ardehāl in KāšānIran (Islamic Republic of)
Rites and craftsmanship associated with the wedding costume tradition of TlemcenAlgeria
Worship of Hùng kings in Phú ThọViet Nam

2011

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Esuwa, Harakbut sung prayers of Peru’s Wachiperi peoplePeru
Traditional skills of building and sailing Iranian Lenj boats in the Persian GulfIran (Islamic Republic of)
Yaokwa, the Enawene Nawe people's ritual for the maintenance of social and cosmic orderBrazil

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Jultagi, tightrope walkingRepublic of Korea

2010

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Daemokjang, traditional wooden architectureRepublic of Korea
Gastronomic meal of the FrenchFrance
Huaconada, ritual dance of MitoPeru
Naadam, Mongolian traditional festivalMongolia
Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei ritualsIran (Islamic Republic of)
Ritual dramatic art of Ta‘zīyeIran (Islamic Republic of)
Scissors dancePeru
Shrovetide door-to-door processions and masks in the villages of the Hlinecko areaCzechia
Traditional art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving in the Republic of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Wayuu normative system, applied by the Pütchipü’üi (palabrero)Colombia

2009

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Sanké mon, collective fishing rite of the SankéMali
Traditions and practices associated with the Kayas in the sacred forests of the MijikendaKenya

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant from the Kastav areaCroatia
Carnaval de Negros y BlancosColombia
Chinese calligraphyChina
Dainichido BugakuJapan
Katta AshulaUzbekistan
Manden Charter, proclaimed in Kurukan FugaMali
Namsadang NoriRepublic of Korea
Oku-noto no AenokotoJapan
Quan Họ Bắc Ninh folk songsViet Nam
Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas, IndiaIndia
Ritual ceremony of the VoladoresMexico
Septennial re-roofing ceremony of the Kamablon, sacred house of KangabaMali
YeongsanjaeRepublic of Korea

2008

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Andean cosmovision of the KallawayaBolivia (Plurinational State of)
Art of Akyns, Kyrgyz epic tellersKyrgyzstan
Barkcloth making in UgandaUganda
Căluş ritualRomania
Carnival of OruroBolivia (Plurinational State of)
Cultural space of Sosso-BalaGuinea
Gangneung Danoje festivalRepublic of Korea
Gbofe of Afounkaha, the music of the transverse trumps of the Tagbana communityCôte d'Ivoire
Indigenous festivity dedicated to the deadMexico
Mystery play of ElcheSpain
Oral heritage and cultural manifestations of the Zápara peopleEcuador – Peru
Oral heritage of GeledeBenin – Nigeria – Togo
Polyphonic singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central AfricaCentral African Republic
Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its musicRepublic of Korea
Sbek Thom, Khmer shadow theatreCambodia
Taquile and its textile artPeru
Tradition of Vedic chantingIndia
Traditional music of the Morin KhuurMongolia
Vanuatu sand drawingsVanuatu
Vimbuza healing danceMalawi
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