Periodic reporting on the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Convention provides in Article 29 that States Parties shall submit to the Committee reports on the legislative, regulatory and other measures taken for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in their territories. Current page presents the periodic reports and deadlines of a country: Mauritius (see overview on all States Parties).

Periodic reporting on the implementation of the Convention allows States Parties to assess their implementation of the Convention, evaluate their capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, report on their inventories of intangible cultural heritage and update the status of elements inscribed on the Representative List.

When elements are inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, the submitting State Party commits itself to take safeguarding measures aimed at strengthening the viability of the heritage concerned. Four years after inscription, the State Party reports to the Committee on the current situation of the element, the effectiveness of the safeguarding measures it has implemented, and the challenges it has encountered.


On the implementation of the Convention

Each State Party submits its periodic report to the Committee by 15 December of the sixth year following the year in which it deposited its instrument of ratification.

Report submitted in 2023 and to be examined by the Committee in 2024

Report submitted on 15/12/2016 and examined by the Committee in 2017

Overview

Having ratified the 2003 Convention in 2004, the current report is the second one submitted by Mauritius on its implementation at the national level. The National Heritage Fund (NHF) Act of 2003 was reviewed and is now in line with the 2003 Convention and the Creative Mauritius - Vision 2025 policy recognizes the potential of intangible cultural heritage in cultural industries. The National Heritage Fund (NHF), under the Ministry of Arts and Culture (MAC), is the competent body for coordinating implementation actions for the safeguarding of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. It works in close collaboration with communities and NGOs and other bodies such as the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture (NMCAC) and the Trust Funds that manage World Heritage Properties. The NHF is in the process of reviewing its legal framework to domesticate intangible cultural heritage in the Mauritian legal system. Other bodies established in cooperation with the various Mauritian communities include Cultural Centres for each community supported financially by the MAC, language unions (Creole Speaking Union), community organizations, the University of Mauritius, the Mauritius Rights Management Society (MRMS) and the Commission for Arts, Culture and Others (CACO) of the island of Rodrigues.
Since ratifying the Convention, the Government has created and/or strengthened institutions for training and has supported community institutions that provide training in specific elements (Sega Tipik performance and ravann making). The University of Mauritius offers master’s degree courses in Heritage Management and an undergraduate course on Cultural and Heritage Tourism, including the management of intangible cultural heritage.
With regard to documentation, the National Archives has a digitalized system of all its documentation that covers intangible cultural heritage, including audiovisual materials, and the National library holds extensive documentation on intangible cultural heritage. Cultural Centres work with the NHF to document their intangible cultural heritage and this is subsequently incorporated into the national inventory. In addition, the NMCAC has a library, and a research and documentation centre. In the island of Rodrigues, CACO has set up an archive and documentation centre within the National Library in Port Mathurin where communities can access information, while Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund (AGTF) carries out documentation and has a rich archive on practices such as Geet Gewai. These collections are generally freely accessible to the public.
The NHF has developed a National Inventory of its elements since 2013 in collaboration with communities, NGOs, higher education institutions, NMCAC, the Cultural Centres, the Speaking Unions and the institutions managing the two World Heritage Properties. The NHF hosts an inventory of 117 elements of intangible cultural heritage from the different communities of Mauritius. There are also other subsidiary inventories compiled and maintained by institutions and associations. The National Inventory is organized along territorial principles (location on the various islands) and according to the five domains of the 2003 Convention, although this approach is under review. The National Inventory takes into account the viability of the intangible cultural heritage and some of the elements inscribed are threatened and may require urgent safeguarding. Updating the Inventory is a continuous process carried out under the scrutiny of the NHF. The inventoried elements are gathered through workshops and working sessions with communities, through associations developing their own inventories and also through researchers from the various institutions engaging with communities and collecting information. Although initially led by academics, it is planned that communities will play a primary role in inventory-making, and they are now being given guidance in this process. For these inventories, the free, prior and informed consent of the communities concerned has been obtained for the inclusion of their elements. NGOs have been involved from the beginning as part of communities as well as individual entities.
As part of its safeguarding measures, the MAC has instituted concerts, workshops and competitions at all levels and supported scientific, technical and artistic studies for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, in partnership with other bodies. Activities undertaken include organizing exhibitions, concerts and other awareness-raising activities. Festivals provide visibility for intangible cultural heritage and help create networks and partnerships between artists, State Parties and organizations. The Mauritius Rights Management Society protects the Intellectual Property (IP) rights of artists. Many activities have been and continue to be carried out by communities, State Party-supported institutions, NGOs, community groups, individual artists and other organizations as part of providing access to intangible cultural heritage. The NMCAC promotes elements associated with African Culture and traditional knowledge systems related to craftsmanship (with youth and artists in the production of wooden sculptures). Mauritius has legally recognized and provided protection to sites of memory associated with intangible cultural heritage of its multiple communities. The management bodies for the two World Heritage properties in Mauritius (Le Morne Cultural landscape and Aapravasi Ghat) also safeguard the intangible cultural heritage associated with them, holding workshops with local artists and documenting music, dance, culinary practices, crafts skills, traditional games, storytelling and dress heritage, for example. In Rodrigues Island, CACO and the Commission for Tourism work closely with the communities to safeguard and promote intangible cultural heritage through festivals, performances and cuisine, arts and craft fairs. Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation and other TV channels have also been showcasing intangible cultural heritage.
The University of Mauritius provides educational programmes through its curriculum development, teaching and general capacity building of heritage professionals. This includes both Bachelors (BA) and master’s degrees (MA) where intangible cultural heritage has been identified and incorporated into the teaching curriculum. All eight MA graduates are employed in heritage institutions that also safeguard and promote intangible cultural heritage. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) also engages in teaching about intangible cultural heritage and runs a museum of Indian Folklore to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Indian origins. In addition, much transmission takes place through informal practices from mother to daughter, father to son and elders to youth. Groups of artists also transmit their art through practice and performances in community centres, hotels, family gatherings, beaches etc. The Bhojpuri Speaking Union (BSU), along with the community, set up the Geet-Gawai school that has subsequently inspired the opening of thirteen more such schools across the country. In Rodrigues, numerous groups have emerged based around community centres that are promoting intangible cultural heritage through music, culinary practices and crafts. Individuals also train the public in their elements, through informal schooling at their home, free of charge. Furthermore, groups in Rodrigues have set up training facilities for the youth while CACO works with elders providing training in tambour making and transferring their knowledge to youth.
In terms of bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international cooperation, Mauritius has cultural cooperation agreements with its neighbouring countries (Seychelles, Madagascar, Mozambique and India) that share common cultural values, historical experiences and intangible cultural heritage, such as the Creole language and Sega music. They have developed various programmes to exchange information on promoting and safeguarding their intangible cultural heritage. The annual cultural ‘Festival International Kreol’ brings together the Indian Ocean sub-region and the Caribbean Islands, etc. Seychelles and Réunion (France) have also established regional festivals in which Mauritian artists participate. Mauritius provides funding to artists participating in both national and regional performances/festivals through Artists’ Assistance Scheme (AAS). A close network has been developed not only between Mauritius and other State Parties but also between the artists and performers within the region and beyond. Mauritius has signed a number of agreements for cultural exchange programmes that facilitate the free exchange of artists with other countries. There is also an emerging network of professionals as well as communities, brought together by international conferences held by UoM, AGTF and Le Morne in 2011, 2014 and 2015 on indentured labour and slavery. Mauritius hosts the formation of the Indenture Labour Route project adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference, involving countries with this shared history. This has also created networks between professionals, government bodies and the general public.
Mauritius has two elements inscribed on the Representative List, namely Traditional Mauritian Sega (inscribed in 2014 and included in the current report) and the Bhojpuri Folk Songs in Mauritius, Geet Gawai (inscribed in 2016 and which will be therefore included in the next report).

Report submitted on 15/12/2010 and examined by the Committee in 2011

Overview

The national body charged with the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage is the National Heritage Fund (NHF). A parastatal body of the Ministry of Arts and Culture, since 2010 the NHF has been the National Repository for Intangible Cultural Heritage. In conformity with the National Heritage Fund Act of 2003, the NHF has as its objectives, inter alia, to ‘safeguard, manage and promote the national heritage’ (which also comprises intangible cultural heritage), to ‘educate and sensitize the public on cultural values, national heritage and to instil a sense of belonging and civic pride with respect to national heritage’. The Act is being amended to make provision for research into and the documentation and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
No institution, as such, exists for training in intangible cultural heritage management. Most of the people undertaking research in this field have been trained abroad. However, recently, some others have started to receive training in oral history or oral tradition documentation at the University of Mauritius and at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. These trained individuals are employed by different institutions to carry out research into and the documentation on intangible cultural heritage.
In terms of documentation, a fairly large number of public institutions, mostly cultural centres linked to Mauritius’s numerous ethno-linguistic groups, collect and store data on various aspects of intangible cultural heritage, which they make accessible to the public. The NHF receives copies of all research works on intangible cultural heritage funded by or through the Government and also makes provision to ensure that its collections are available to the public. The Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund (AGTF) has produced an audio CD comprising a specific oral expression (songs) called the ‘sohar’ related to indentured labourers. This CD is available to the public at large.
Two main inventories for intangible cultural heritage have been prepared in Mauritius: a national list under the responsibility of the NHF (‘Inventory and Documentation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Republic of Mauritius – A First List’), and a thematic list under the supervision of the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund (‘Towards an Inventory of Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage Related to Indentured Legacy in the Republic of Mauritius’). The latter is being incorporated into the national list. The criteria for inclusion of intangible cultural heritage in the national list are: (1) Elements which are known, most popular and are being practised; (2) Elements which are less known by the young generation and least practised nowadays; (3) Intangible heritage common among the older generation; (4) Practices which have a tendency to be modernized; (5) Practices which are being influenced by foreign societies and are losing their local touch. The intangible heritage elements have been listed with the involvement of the community itself. Communities form an active part as they are the ones providing the information; they are the resource persons and all their contacts are kept in the database so as to enable the National Heritage Fund to remain in touch with them. Consultative workshops are organized to review the data collected and have the consent of the community to insert the elements into the national database.
The Government has a strong policy of promoting different forms of music and performing arts through the Ministry of Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources. Three art centres called ‘Centre de Formation Artistique’ (Centre for Arts Training), which operate under the Ministry of Arts and Culture, have been opened in different parts of the country to promote performing arts and traditional craftsmanship. Three more will be opened in the near future. Practices are now shown on national TV to create awareness and encourage people to take an interest in intangible cultural heritage. The promotion of traditional craftsmanship is one component of the national project in developing small-scale enterprises. Technical and financial assistance is given to skilled people to promote their craft products. Furthermore, unskilled and interested people are provided with specialized training starting at grass-roots level to develop their talents.
Bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international cooperation takes the form of cultural exchange agreements signed with different countries (e.g. China, Egypt, France, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan and Seychelles) allowing for the promotion of elements of intangible cultural heritage, especially in performing arts. Furthermore, the country hosts a yearly international Creole festival where elements of intangible cultural heritage are exhibited and promoted.

On Urgent Safeguarding List elements

Reports on each element inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List are submitted by the State Party on 15 December of the fourth year following the year in which the element was inscribed, and every fourth year thereafter.

Sega tambour Chagos, inscribed in 2019

To access the description of this element, the original nomination file (form, consent of communities, photos and video) and the decision of inscription, please consult dedicated webpage.

A report will be due by 15/12/2027

Report submitted in 2023 and to be examined by the Committee in 2024

Report submitted on 15/12/2021 and examined by the Committee in 2022

Overview

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