The Bureau,

1. Recalling Article 23 of the Convention as well as Chapter I.4 of the Operational Directives relating to the eligibility and criteria of International Assistance requests,
2. Having examined document LHE/21/16.COM 3.BUR/3 as well as International Assistance request no. 01628 submitted by Mauritania,
3. Takes note that Mauritania has requested International Assistance for the project entitled ‘Safeguarding the Oulad Mbarek epic’:

This eighteen-month project aims to safeguard the Oulad Mbarek epic, an oral tradition combining poetry and music that was developed in the eighteenth century on the borders of present-day Mauritania and Mali. T'heydinne, an element inscribed in 2011 (6.COM) on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, is an epic poetry whose source is undoubtedly the Oulad Mbarek and which subsequently spread throughout the country. Given the ever-decreasing number of bearers, namely the griot, the project aims to collect the repertoire of poems in writing, sound and image to promote access to and facilitate transmission of the tradition. The project, which will be implemented by the International Foundation of the Aïn Farba Festival in close collaboration with local communities, is based on three major axes: (a) a campaign to raise awareness of the cultural and historical interest of the epic and the need to safeguard it, including the development of communication materials and a documentary; (b) a series of activities focusing on the transmission of the practice to younger generations; and (c) the creation of an inventory of the elements of the Oulad Mbarek epic. Furthermore, sixty community members will be informed about the 2003 Convention, as well as about inventorying and its crucial role in safeguarding living heritage. The inventory will be undertaken in collaboration with the bearers and include capacity-building workshops, the development of a digital database and a thesaurus that can be accessed and updated by researchers and bearers. The project will contribute to the development of additional products and performances such as concerts, plays and films. It is expected to encourage the manufacture of traditional musical instruments, thus creating income-generating activities.

4. Further takes note that this assistance is to support a project implemented at the local level, in accordance with Article 20 (c) of the Convention, and that it takes the form of the provision of a grant, pursuant to Article 21 (g) of the Convention;
5. Also takes note that Mauritania has requested assistance in the amount of US$88,375 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of this project;
6. Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 01628, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance given in paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:

Criterion A.1: The request was submitted following consultations among the communities from the Hodh Chargui, Hodh Al Gharbi and Assaba regions, which will be the primary beneficiaries of the project. It foresees that the communities will participate in awareness-raising and safeguarding activities, as well as community-based inventorying workshops and fieldwork exercises. They will also be involved in the validation of the documented inventory of the elements of the Oulad Mbarek epic and in the evaluation and follow-up of the project.

Criterion A.2: The budget is presented in a structured manner, corresponds to the planned activities and provides sufficient detail. The amount of assistance requested may therefore be considered as appropriate.

Criterion A.3: The project is articulated around five main components that will contribute to the Safeguarding of the Ouled Mbarek Epic: awareness-raising, safeguarding, capacity building, community-based inventory and documentation. They are presented in a logical sequence and include activities that focus specifically on the transmission of the practice from griots (women and men) to young community representatives. The activities correspond to the objectives and expected results described in the project and they seem feasible within the proposed duration.

Criterion A.4: The Ouled Mbarek epic is part of the repertoire of the Moorish epic T'heydinne, an element inscribed on the List of Intangible Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Consequently, the inventory of the poems and music produced during the epic of this emirate constitutes an important action in the safeguarding of the element. Furthermore, the Ouled Mbarek epic will help strengthen the social links between the griots and their communities and across different communities. The project will enable the griots to hand on their knowledge to younger generations, and this transmission will entail teaching youth how to play the instruments and introducing them to poetry through recitation. The participation of young people could improve the knowledge and transmission of skills related to this epic beyond the end of the project.

Criterion A.5: The submitting State Party, through its implementing partner, is committed to sharing 9 per cent of the cost of the project.

Criterion A.6: The project is clearly aimed at developing the capacities of the communities concerned, with a focus on women and men bearers. During various training workshops, sixty representatives of civil society, youth and practitioners will be trained on the principles of the 2003 Convention, safeguarding measures and community-based inventorying. Furthermore, the training tools used during these workshops will be based on the materials developed in the framework of the project ‘Strengthening the capacities of NGOs active in the field of intangible cultural heritage in Mauritania’. The safeguarding activities aimed at enhancing the visibility of the element could raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage among a wide audience, at the local and national levels.

Criterion A.7: Mauritania received preparatory assistance in the amount of US$9,800 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the preparation of a nomination to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009 (file no. 00487). It has also received assistance for two ongoing projects entitled ‘Strengthening the capacities of NGOs active in the field of intangible cultural heritage in Mauritania’ (file no. 01429, 2019-2021, US$94,300) and ‘National Oral Traditions (NOT), additional collection component’ (file no. 01528, 2020-2021, US$90,562). The work stipulated by the contracts related to these projects was and is being carried out in compliance with UNESCO’s regulations.

Paragraph 10(a): The project is local in scope and its implementation involves national and local partners, including two intangible cultural heritage-accredited NGOs from Mauritania: the Association mauritanienne pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel and the Association mauritanienne pour les traditions populaires.

Paragraph 10(b): The project should raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding oral traditions, especially those at risk. The project may have lasting results as could encourage similar initiatives for the safeguarding of oral traditions in other regions of Mauritania.

7. Approves the International Assistance request from Mauritania for the project entitled ‘Safeguarding the Oulad Mbarek epic’ and grants the amount of US$88,375 to the State Party to this end;
8. Requests that the Secretariat reach an agreement with the requesting State Party on the technical details of the assistance, paying particular attention to ensuring that the budget and work plan of the activities to be covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund are detailed and specific enough to provide sufficient justification of the expenditures;
9. Invites the State Party to use Form ICH-04 Report when reporting on the use of the assistance provided.