Decisión del Comité intergubernamental: 17.COM 8.a

The Committee,

  1. Having examined document LHE/22/17.COM 8 and its annexes,
  2. Recalling Decisions 3.COM 1, 13.COM 9, 14.COM 14, et 16.COM 11, as well as Resolution 9.GA 9 and paragraphs 40.1 to 40.3 of the Operational Directives,
  3. Further recalling that ‘Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France’ (Belgium and France) was incorporated in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, in accordance with Article 31 of the Convention;
  4. Recalls that intangible cultural heritage, for the purposes of the Convention and according to its Article 2, is ‘[…] constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, […]. For the purposes of this Convention, consideration will be given solely to such intangible cultural heritage as is compatible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals […]’;
  5. Takes note that in 2022 the Secretariat registered a series of communications from third parties condemning the ‘Sauvage’ character of the procession that takes place in the town of Ath (Belgium) as a form of racism and discrimination, and requesting that the Ducasse of Ath be removed from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
  6. Further takes note of the information provided by the State Party of Belgium in response to the removal requests, which described the reflection process initiated at the community level in order to address the concerns raised as well as the readiness of many community members to see an evolution in how the character of the ‘Sauvage’ is enacted;
  7. Also takes note of the recommendations of the Bureau, having examined the removal request, information gathered by the Secretariat and the response given by the State Party concerned, to bring the removal requests concerning the Ducasse of Ath to the attention of the Committee;
  8. Considers the allegations of racism and discrimination to be an extremely serious matter since they touch upon UNESCO's founding principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect among peoples, as reflected in the preamble of the Organization's Constitution, as well as the requirement of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, as stipulated under Article 2 of the Convention;
  9. Strongly condemns the racist and discriminatory existence of a chained black character called the ‘Sauvage’ of the procession that takes place in the town of Ath (Belgium) that is in contradiction with the founding principles of UNESCO, as well as the requirement of mutual respect under Article 2 of the Convention;
  10. Also takes note of the request of the State Party of Belgium during its seventeenth session to have the ‘Ducasse of Ath’ removed from the element ‘Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France’;
  11. Decides to remove ‘Ducasse of Ath’ of the element ‘Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France’ from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
  12. Expresses the strong wish that the character of the ‘Sauvage’ be removed from the ‘Ducasse of Ath’.

Top