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 nomination files submitted by the States Parties are published by the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention on its website in compliance with paragraph 54 of the Operational Directives regarding the nomination procedure; moreover, the information included in the nominations is reflected in working documents of the Committee in order to ensure transparency and access to information.


The sole responsibility for the content of each nomination file lies with the submitting States Parties concerned. 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.





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Results : 118 elements corresponding to 2 regions and 76 countries
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2024

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Wosana ritual and associated practicesBotswana

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Craftsmanship of traditional woven textile KenteGhana
Cultural practices and expressions linked to Balafon and Kolintang in Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and IndonesiaMali – Burkina Faso – Côte d'Ivoire – Indonesia
Durbar in KanoNigeria
Henna: rituals, aesthetic and social practicesUnited Arab Emirates – Algeria – Bahrain – Egypt – Iraq – Jordan – Kuwait – Mauritania – Morocco – Oman – State of Palestine – Qatar – Saudi Arabia – Sudan – Tunisia – Yemen
IntoreRwanda
Mangwengwe danceZambia
Ngondo, worship of water oracles and associated cultural traditions among the SawaCameroon
Performing arts among the Twāyef of GhbontenTunisia
Semsemiah: instrument crafting and playingEgypt – Saudi Arabia
Skills related to Attiéké production in Côte d’IvoireCôte d'Ivoire
The Epic of Samba GueladioMauritania
The women’s ceremonial costume in the Eastern region of Algeria: knowledge and skills associated with the making and adornment of the ‘Gandoura’ and the ‘Melehfa’Algeria
Xeer Ciise: Oral customary laws of Somali-Issa communities in Ethiopia, Djibouti and SomaliaEthiopia – Djibouti – Somalia

2023

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Ingoma Ya MapikoMozambique
XeedhoDjibouti

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper)Iraq – Algeria – Egypt – Mauritania – Morocco – State of Palestine – Saudi Arabia – Sudan – Tunisia – Yemen
Hiragasy, a performing art of the Central Highlands of MadagascarMadagascar
Mahadra, a community system for transmission of traditional knowledge and oral expressionsMauritania
Malhun, a popular poetic and musical artMorocco
Midwifery: knowledge, skills and practicesColombia – Cyprus – Germany – Kyrgyzstan – Luxembourg – Nigeria – Slovenia – Togo
Nguon, rituals of governance and associated expressions in the Bamoun communityCameroon
Procession and celebrations of Prophet Mohammed's birthday in SudanSudan
Sango Festival, OyoNigeria
Shuwalid festivalEthiopia
Sona, drawings and geometric figures on sandAngola
Traditional skills of loincloth weaving in Côte d’IvoireCôte d'Ivoire

2022

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practicesUnited Arab Emirates – Bahrain – Egypt – Iraq – Jordan – Kuwait – Mauritania – Morocco – Oman – State of Palestine – Qatar – Saudi Arabia – Sudan – Tunisia – Yemen
Festivals related to the Journey of the Holy family in EgyptEgypt
Harissa, knowledge, skills and culinary and social practicesTunisia
Kalela danceZambia
Raï, popular folk song of AlgeriaAlgeria

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

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practicesSaudi Arabia – Algeria – Bahrain – Egypt – Iraq – Jordan – Kuwait – Lebanon – Mauritania – Morocco – Oman – State of Palestine – Sudan – Tunisia – United Arab Emirates – Yemen
Ceebu Jën, a culinary art of SenegalSenegal
Congolese rumbaDemocratic Republic of the Congo – Congo
Falconry, a living human heritageUnited Arab Emirates – Austria – Belgium – Croatia – Czechia – France – Germany – Hungary – Ireland – Italy – Kazakhstan – Republic of Korea – Kyrgyzstan – Mongolia – Morocco – Netherlands (Kingdom of the) – Pakistan – Poland – Portugal – Qatar – Saudi Arabia – Slovakia – Spain – Syrian Arab Republic
Malagasy Kabary, the Malagasy oratorical artMadagascar
MoutyaSeychelles
TbouridaMorocco

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Success story of promoting traditional foods and safeguarding traditional foodways in KenyaKenya

2020

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Aboxan Musik ǀŌb ǂÂns tsî ǁKhasigu, ancestral musical sound knowledge and skillsNamibia
Handmade weaving in Upper Egypt (Sa'eed)Egypt

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
Budima danceZambia
Charfia fishing in the Kerkennah IslandsTunisia
Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscousAlgeria – Mauritania – Morocco – Tunisia

2019

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Rituals and practices associated with Kit Mikayi shrineKenya
Sega tambour ChagosMauritius
Seperu folkdance and associated practicesBotswana

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Ethiopian epiphanyEthiopia
GnawaMorocco
Kwagh-Hir theatrical performanceNigeria
Morna, musical practice of Cabo VerdeCabo Verde

2018

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Enkipaata, Eunoto and Olng'esherr, three male rites of passage of the Maasai communityKenya
Knowledge and skills of the water measurers of the foggaras or water bailiffs of Touat and TidikeltAlgeria
Traditional hand puppetryEgypt

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Mooba dance of the Lenje ethnic group of Central Province of ZambiaZambia
Mwinoghe, joyous danceMalawi
Pottery skills of the women of SejnaneTunisia

2017

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Dikopelo folk music of Bakgatla ba Kgafela in Kgatleng DistrictBotswana
Taskiwin, martial dance of the western High AtlasMorocco

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Nsima, culinary tradition of MalawiMalawi
Sega tambour of Rodrigues IslandMauritius
Zaouli, popular music and dance of the Guro communities in Côte d’IvoireCôte d'Ivoire

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

Argungu international fishing and cultural festivalNigeria
Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, Geet-GawaiMauritius
Gada system, an indigenous democratic socio-political system of the OromoEthiopia
Tahteeb, stick gameEgypt

2015

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Koogere oral tradition of the Basongora, Banyabindi and Batooro peoplesUganda

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Fichee-Chambalaalla, New Year festival of the Sidama peopleEthiopia
Oshituthi shomagongo, marula fruit festivalNamibia
Sbuâ, annual pilgrimage to the zawiya of Sidi El Hadj Belkacem in GouraraAlgeria

2014

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Isukuti dance of Isukha and Idakho communities of Western KenyaKenya
Male-child cleansing ceremony of the Lango of central northern UgandaUganda

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Argan, practices and know-how concerning the argan treeMorocco
Coming forth of the masks and puppets in MarkalaMali
Practices and expressions of joking relationships in NigerNiger
Ritual and ceremonies of Sebeïba in the oasis of Djanet, AlgeriaAlgeria
Ritual dance of the royal drumBurundi
Tchopa, sacrificial dance of the Lhomwe people of southern MalawiMalawi
Traditional Mauritian SegaMauritius

2013

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Empaako tradition of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of western UgandaUganda

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Annual pilgrimage to the mausoleum of Sidi ‘Abd el-Qader Ben Mohammed (Sidi Cheikh)Algeria
Commemoration feast of the finding of the True Holy Cross of ChristEthiopia
Mediterranean dietCyprus – Croatia – Spain – Greece – Italy – Morocco – Portugal
Practices and knowledge linked to the Imzad of the Tuareg communities of Algeria, Mali and NigerAlgeria – Mali – Niger
Xooy, a divination ceremony among the Serer of Senegal Senegal

2012

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Bigwala, gourd trumpet music and dance of the Busoga Kingdom in UgandaUganda
Earthenware pottery-making skills in Botswana’s Kgatleng DistrictBotswana

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Cherry festival in SefrouMorocco
Rites and craftsmanship associated with the wedding costume tradition of TlemcenAlgeria

2011

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Moorish epic T’heydinnMauritania
Secret society of the Kôrêdugaw, the rite of wisdom in MaliMali

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

Ijele masqueradeNigeria
Manden Charter, proclaimed in Kurukan FugaMali
Septennial re-roofing ceremony of the Kamablon, sacred house of KangabaMali

2008

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Ahellil of GouraraAlgeria
Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah epicEgypt
Barkcloth making in UgandaUganda
Chopi TimbilaMozambique
Cultural space of Jemaa el-Fna SquareMorocco
Cultural space of Sosso-BalaGuinea
Cultural space of the Yaaral and DegalMali
Gbofe of Afounkaha, the music of the transverse trumps of the Tagbana communityCôte d'Ivoire
Gule WamkuluMalawi – Mozambique – Zambia
Ifa divination systemNigeria
Kankurang, Manding initiatory riteGambia – Senegal
Makishi masqueradeZambia
Mbende Jerusarema danceZimbabwe
Moussem of Tan-TanMorocco
Oral heritage of GeledeBenin – Nigeria – Togo
Polyphonic singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central AfricaCentral African Republic
Vimbuza healing danceMalawi
Woodcrafting knowledge of the ZafimaniryMadagascar
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