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 : 108 elements corresponding to 5 regions and 81 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

Alpine pasture seasonSwitzerland
Art of Akhal-Teke horse breeding and traditions of horses' decorationTurkmenistan
Jamu wellness cultureIndonesia
Traditional irrigation: knowledge, technique, and organizationAustria – Belgium – Germany – Italy – Luxembourg – Netherlands (Kingdom of the) – Switzerland
Transhumance, the seasonal droving of livestockAlbania – Andorra – Austria – Croatia – France – Greece – Italy – Luxembourg – Romania – Spain

2022

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Quinchamalí and Santa Cruz de Cuca potteryChile

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Alheda'a, oral traditions of calling camel flocksSaudi Arabia – Oman – United Arab Emirates
Ancestral system of knowledge of the four indigenous peoples, Arhuaco, Kankuamo, Kogui and Wiwa of the Sierra Nevada de Santa MartaColombia
Bear festivities in the PyreneesAndorra – France
Beekeeping in Slovenia, a way of lifeSlovenia
Culture of Çay (tea), a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interactionAzerbaijan – Türkiye
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
Furyu-odori, ritual dances imbued with people’s hopes and prayersJapan
Harissa, knowledge, skills and culinary and social practicesTunisia
Knowledge and practices related to cultivating Khawlani coffee beansSaudi Arabia
Knowledge of the light rum mastersCuba
Lipizzan horse breeding traditionsAustria – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia – Hungary – Italy – Romania – Slovakia – Slovenia
Orteke, traditional performing art in Kazakhstan: dance, puppet and musicKazakhstan
Straw weaving in Belarus, art, craft and skillsBelarus
Timber raftingAustria – Czechia – Germany – Latvia – Poland – Spain
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in ChinaChina

2021

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Carolinian wayfinding and canoe makingMicronesia (Federated States of)

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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
Flower carpets tradition for Corpus Christi processionsPoland
Ornek, a Crimean Tatar ornament and knowledge about itUkraine
Pottery-related values, knowledge, lore and practices of the Awajún peoplePeru
Traditional craftsmanship of making Dumbara Ratā KalālaSri Lanka

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
Traditional knowledge and techniques associated with Pasto Varnish mopa-mopa of Putumayo and NariñoColombia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Al Aflaj, traditional irrigation network system in the UAE, oral traditions, knowledge and skills of construction, maintenance and equitable water distributionUnited Arab Emirates
Camel racing, a social practice and a festive heritage associated with camelsUnited Arab Emirates – Oman
Grass mowing competition custom in KupresBosnia and Herzegovina
Nar Bayrami, traditional pomegranate festivity and cultureAzerbaijan
Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in JapanJapan
Tree beekeeping culturePoland – Belarus
Wine HorsesSpain

2019

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

AlpinismFrance – Italy – Switzerland
Practices and craftsmanship associated with the Damascene rose in Al-MrahSyrian Arab Republic
Practices of Then by Tày, Nùng and Thái ethnic groups in Viet NamViet Nam

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Biocultural programme for the safeguarding of the tradition of the Blessed Palm in VenezuelaVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

2018

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Knowledge and skills of the water measurers of the foggaras or water bailiffs of Touat and TidikeltAlgeria
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

Art of dry stone walling, knowledge and techniquesCroatia – Cyprus – France – Greece – Italy – Slovenia – Spain – Switzerland
Avalanche risk managementSwitzerland – Austria
Horse and camel ArdhahOman
Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, knowledge and practices concerning life, health and illness prevention and treatment among the Tibetan people in ChinaChina
The skills related to perfume in Pays de Grasse: the cultivation of perfume plants, the knowledge and processing of natural raw materials, and the art of perfume compositionFrance
Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breedersKazakhstan

2017

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Colombian-Venezuelan llano work songsColombia – Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Mongolian traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sitesMongolia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Chogān, a horse-riding game accompanied by music and storytellingIran (Islamic Republic of)
Khaen music of the Lao peopleLao People's Democratic Republic
Kok boru, traditional horse gameKyrgyzstan
Spring celebration, HıdrellezNorth Macedonia – Türkiye
Traditional system of Corongo’s water judgesPeru

2016

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Argungu international fishing and cultural festivalNigeria
Gada system, an indigenous democratic socio-political system of the OromoEthiopia
Practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three RealmsViet Nam

2015

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Coaxing ritual for camelsMongolia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Classical horsemanship and the High School of the Spanish Riding School ViennaAustria
Fichee-Chambalaalla, New Year festival of the Sidama peopleEthiopia

2014

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Mapoyo oral tradition and its symbolic reference points within their ancestral territoryVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

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
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

Chovqan, a traditional Karabakh horse-riding game in the Republic of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Knowledge, skills and rituals related to the annual renewal of the Q’eswachaka bridgePeru
Mediterranean dietCyprus – Croatia – Spain – Greece – Italy – Morocco – Portugal
Xooy, a divination ceremony among the Serer of Senegal Senegal

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Methodology for inventorying intangible cultural heritage in biosphere reserves: the experience of MontsenySpain

2012

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Fiesta of the patios in CordovaSpain
Ichapekene Piesta, the biggest festival of San Ignacio de Moxos Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Nachi no Dengaku, a religious performing art held at the Nachi fire festivalJapan

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Xtaxkgakget Makgkaxtlawana: the Centre for Indigenous Arts and its contribution to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of the Totonac people of Veracruz, MexicoMexico

2011

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Esuwa, Harakbut sung prayers of Peru’s Wachiperi peoplePeru
Hezhen Yimakan storytellingChina
Yaokwa, the Enawene Nawe people's ritual for the maintenance of social and cosmic orderBrazil

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Equitation in the French traditionFrance
Mibu no Hana Taue, ritual of transplanting rice in Mibu, HiroshimaJapan
Traditional knowledge of the jaguar shamans of YuruparíColombia

2010

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Mongolian traditional art of KhöömeiMongolia
Naadam, Mongolian traditional festivalMongolia
Pirekua, traditional song of the P’urhépechaMexico
Traditional Mexican cuisine - ancestral, ongoing community culture, the Michoacán paradigmMexico
Wayuu normative system, applied by the Pütchipü’üi (palabrero)Colombia

2009

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Qiang New Year festivalChina
Sanké mon, collective fishing rite of the SankéMali
Traditional music of the TsuurMongolia
Traditions and practices associated with the Kayas in the sacred forests of the MijikendaKenya

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Irrigators’ tribunals of the Spanish Mediterranean coast: the Council of Wise Men of the plain of Murcia and the Water Tribunal of the plain of ValenciaSpain
Mongolian art of singing, KhoomeiChina
Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu: techniques of making ramie fabric in Uonuma region, Niigata PrefectureJapan
Places of memory and living traditions of the Otomí-Chichimecas people of Tolimán: the Peña de Bernal, guardian of a sacred territoryMexico
Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas, IndiaIndia
Ritual ceremony of the VoladoresMexico
Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of ChinaChina
Traditional Ainu danceJapan
Traditional handicrafts of making Xuan paperChina

2008

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Andean cosmovision of the KallawayaBolivia (Plurinational State of)
Barkcloth making in UgandaUganda
Kihnu cultural spaceEstonia
Maroon heritage of Moore TownJamaica
Oral and graphic expressions of the WajapiBrazil
Oral heritage and cultural manifestations of the Zápara peopleEcuador – Peru
Polyphonic singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central AfricaCentral African Republic
Woodcrafting knowledge of the ZafimaniryMadagascar
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