The Committee,
- Having examined document ITH/14/9.COM/12,
- Recalling paragraphs 33 and 34 of the Operational Directives, and its Decision 8.COM 10,
- Taking note that the number of files being treated for the 2015 cycle is 50, representing 56 submitting States,
- Considering that its capacities to examine files during a session are still limited, as are the capacities and human resources of the Secretariat,
- Reaffirms that those States Parties that submitted files that could not be treated within the ceiling of 50 files in the 2015 cycle will see their files examined with priority in the 2016 cycle, following the principle of one file per submitting State during the two year period (Decision 8.COM 10) ;
- Decides that in the course of the 2016 and 2017 cycles, the number of nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, proposals of programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention and international assistance requests greater than US$25,000 that can be treated is determined to be 50 per cycle;
- Further decides that at least one file per submitting State should be processed during the two year period 2016-2017, within the agreed number of nominations per biennium, in conformity with paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives;
- Further decides that the Secretariat may exercise some flexibility, if that would permit greater equity among submitting States with equal priority under paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives;
- Invites States Parties to take the present decision into account when submitting files for the 2016 and 2017 cycle;
- Further requests the Secretariat to report to it on the number of files submitted for the 2016 cycle and its experience applying the Operational Directives and the present decision at its tenth session.