The Committee,
- Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/6.b,
- Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decision 8.COM 7.a.12,
- Expresses its thanks to Uganda for submitting its report on the status of the element ‘Empaako tradition of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of western Uganda’, inscribed in 2013 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
- Takes note of the continued efforts undertaken by Uganda to safeguard the element and, in particular, its proactive approach towards the participatory design of the safeguarding plan and mechanisms for effective participation of the communities and stakeholders concerned in their implementation;
- Invites the State Party to continue developing its fund-raising strategy to ensure that reliance on external donors does not drive safeguarding priorities, and that community-funded projects have a reliable source of funding and human resources for continuous implementation;
- Encourages the State Party to continue to address the loss of knowledge among bearers of the rituals and ceremonies, and the decline in observance of the practice by addressing external factors affecting this element, such as the declining use of the Runyoro-Rutooro language;
- Decides that its next report will follow the normal four-year cycle, in conformity with paragraph 161 of the Operational Directives, and will therefore be expected on 15 December 2017;
- Requeststhe Secretariat to inform the State Party twelve months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2017 for the submission of its next report on the status of the element.