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/23/18.COM 3.BUR/3 as well as International Assistance request no. 01622 submitted by Cameroon,
3. Takes note that Cameroon has requested International Assistance for the project entitled Pilot inventory of intangible cultural heritage in the ten departments of the Centre Region in Cameroon:

To be implemented by UNESCO’s Multisectoral Regional Office for Central Africa, in cooperation with the Ministry of Arts and Culture, this eighteen-month project aims to lay the foundations for the sustainable safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Cameroon, re-orienting the inventorying system previously set up in the country. The project involves capacity building for the creation of participatory community-based inventories, raising awareness of living heritage safeguarding among the communities concerned and the general public, conducting a pilot inventory in the Centre Region, and strengthening the country’s living heritage safeguarding policy. Designed in collaboration with the stakeholders involved in living heritage safeguarding, the project’s implementation will be based on a dynamic partnership between the State, twelve ethnocultural communities of the Centre Region, academics and researchers, cultural associations, non-governmental organizations, the media and the decentralized territorial authorities. Activities include training of trainers and inventorying workshops, as well as data collection, processing and inventorying activities. They also include community gatherings and radio, television and press conferences on living heritage safeguarding. In the long term, the results of this project is expected to help systematize and expand participatory inventorying activities in Cameroon and to encourage the implementation of safeguarding projects in the rest of the country.

4. Further takes note that:
   1. This assistance is to support a project implemented at the national level, in accordance with Article 20 (c) of the Convention;
   2. The State Party has requested International Assistance that will take the form of services from the Secretariat to the State; and

• The assistance therefore takes the form of the provision of services from UNESCO (100 per cent of the financial transactions are to be managed by UNESCO), pursuant to Article 21 (b) and (g) of the Convention;

5. Also takes note that Cameroon has requested assistance in the amount of US$99,978 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of this project, which will be implemented by UNESCO’s Multisectoral Regional Office for Central Africa, in close cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Arts and Culture of Cameroon;
6. Understands that UNESCO’s Multisectoral Regional Office for Central Africa will be responsible for the management of the total amount requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, while the requesting State will be responsible for co-managing the project by: (a) providing human capacity and ensuring project monitoring activities; (b) supporting informant groups within the communities; (c) ensuring media coverage of the project, including the development and translation of the intangible cultural heritage catalogue; and (d) providing logistical and technical support in the implementation of project’s activities;
7. Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 01622, 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 prepared in collaboration with twelve communities from the Centre region (Babouté, Bamvele, Banen, Bassa, Bene, Eton, Ewondo, Manguissa, Mbamois, Mvele, Yebekolo and Yezoum) who gave their consent to participate in the project. The request clearly outlines the central role of communities in the project’s implementation. Furthermore, it foresees the establishment of various project management structures, such as a steering committee and a regional committee, in which communities will be represented. Community members will participate in training workshops and will play an active role in the community-based participatory inventory and fieldwork exercises.

Criterion A.2: The budget is well-structured, with sufficient details regarding the cost of the proposed activities. The amount of assistance requested may therefore be considered as appropriate for the implementation of the proposed activities.

Criterion A.3: The project has four main objectives and consists of thirteen activities covering the following domains: establishment of project management structures, purchase of equipment, capacity-building on participatory community-based inventories and related fieldwork exercises, documentation, awareness-raising and project monitoring. The activities are presented in a logical sequence and correspond to the objectives and expected results outlined in the request.

Criterion A.4: Throughout the project, the Ministry of Arts and Culture and its partners will work towards establishing a sustainable framework to safeguard living heritage in Cameroon. The project will contribute to the creation of a large network of resource persons equipped with knowledge and skills in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage to support the implementation of the Convention at local and national levels. This network will in turn train communities on inventorying their living heritage in the Centre region. They will also be encouraged to replicate the training on community-based inventory across other regions beyond the project completion. Furthermore, the production and dissemination of various communication materials will raise awareness among civil society and different stakeholders of the importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, thus increasing its visibility.

Criterion A.5: The requesting State will contribute 27 per cent (including in-kind contributions) and UNESCO will contribute a further 13 per cent (in-kind) of the total amount of the project budget for which International Assistance is requested (US$165,753). Consequently, International Assistance is requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the remaining 60 per cent of the total amount of the project.

Criterion A.6: The request adequately describes how the project will contribute to sustainably building capacities at two different levels. At the institutional level, the capacities of staff from the Ministry of Arts and Culture and from university and cultural associations and non-governmental organizations will be strengthened. At the community level, the project will contribute to the collection of information, the validation of the inventory results and the implementation of safeguarding measures. As a result, sixty-nine people will become resource persons in the field of intangible cultural heritage, including twenty staff from the Ministry of Arts and Culture, eighteen from the regional institutions in charge of culture, twenty members selected from among the twelve communities and eleven from the academic and cultural associations. In addition, approximately 160 individuals will benefit from the various trainings and other project activities.

Criterion A.7: The requesting State has not previously received any financial assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund of the 2003 Convention to implement similar or related activities in the field of intangible cultural heritage.

Paragraph 10(a): The project is local in scope and entails cooperation with local and national implementing partners, including the University of Yaounde, cultural associations and non-governmental organizations working in the fields of media and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.

Paragraph 10(b): The pilot inventory and the communication materials developed during the project will contribute to raising awareness among communities about the importance of safeguarding their living heritage.

8. Approves the International Assistance request from Cameroon for the project entitled Pilot inventory of intangible cultural heritage in the ten departments of the Centre Region in Cameroon, and grants the amount of US$99,978 for the implementation of this project according to the modality described in paragraphs 5 and 6;
9. Takes note with interest that the State Party plans, after the completion of the project, to expand the community-based participatory inventorying in all regions of the country and to reflect the results of the project in the establishment of a national strategy framework on intangible cultural heritage;
10. Requests that the Secretariat reach an agreement with the requesting State 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 justify the expenditures;
11. Invites the requesting State to use Form ICH-04-Report to report on the use of the assistance granted.