The Committee,
- Having examined document ITH/16/11.COM/9.b,
- Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decision 6.COM 8.9,
- Expresses its thanks to the Islamic Republic of Iran for submitting its report on the status of the element ‘Naqqāli, Iranian dramatic story-telling’, inscribed in 2011 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
- Takes note of the continued efforts undertaken by the Islamic Republic of Iran to safeguard the element and, in particular the financial support given to practitioners as well as other actions including improving their social status through awareness-raising, holding naqqāli festivals, and supporting inter-generational transmission of naqqāli to future naqqāls, illustrators and traditional instrument-makers;
- Commends the State Party for having established the first Naqqāli House to safeguard the element through research and documentation of the element and training in different aspects of naqqāli and of staging performances;
- Invites the State Party to continue to develop its safeguarding efforts and, in particular, to undertake its plans to build four more Naqqāli Houses in various regions of Iran and to establish a Naqqāli Foundation for processing and disseminating recordings and other information on the element;
- Encourages the State Party to continue to provide financial support to naqqāls for their living costs, in particular to those who undertake transmission activities, and to collaborate with practitioners and experts through the Naqqāli Houses in developing and implementing innovative safeguarding approaches;
- Requests the Secretariat to inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2019 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.