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 1.BUR/3 as well as International Assistance request no. 02051 submitted by Slovakia,
3. Takes note that Slovakia has requested International Assistance for the project entitled To get together – Enhancement of the capacities of displaced communities from Ukraine living in Slovakia through living heritage:

To be implemented by the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, this twenty-month project aims to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Ukrainian communities temporarily displaced in Slovakia and raise awareness of the important role of living heritage safeguarding for forcefully displaced communities. The project is based on the outcomes of the UNESCO project ‘Assessing the needs of living heritage safeguarding among displaced communities from Ukraine in five neighbouring countries: Hungary, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia’ implemented in 2022. The project focuses on safeguarding living heritage as a means of strengthening resilience, improving health and well-being, and providing a safe environment for networking among Ukrainian displaced communities. The proposed activities align with Ukraine’s National Recovery Plan and include capacity-building and awareness-raising workshops, social and festive events related to living heritage, mapping of safeguarding needs, and dissemination activities for larger audiences. In addition to safeguarding Ukrainian living heritage and ensuring access to culture for displaced populations, the project aims to build the capacities of organizations working with refugees and migrants in Slovakia. The project has the potential to contribute to promoting social cohesion between displaced and host communities and raising awareness of the important role of living heritage for displaced populations.

4. Further takes note that this assistance aims to support a project implemented at the national 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 Slovakia has requested assistance in the amount of US$99,914 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of this project;
6. Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 02051, 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 Ukrainian communities displaced and temporarily based in Slovakia played a central role in elaborating the project and defining the proposed activities. More than fifty people were interviewed with a view to define practices that could improve their well-being, while contributing to the safeguarding of their living heritage. Furthermore, the Ukrainian communities will be represented through the Ukrainian non-governmental organization (NGO) ‘Sme spolu’, which will be the main implementing partner in the project. The request clearly describes how the main beneficiaries will actively participate in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project.

Criterion A.2: The detailed budget is well thought out and structured to support the different components of the project. It corresponds to the planned activities and is consistent with the proposed timeframe.

Criterion A.3: The objectives and results of the project are clearly defined and appear achievable. The proposed activities include awareness-raising workshops to promote Ukrainian living heritage, festive and social events aimed at strengthening social cohesion among communities, capacity-building workshops for community centres, mapping and documentation of the intangible cultural heritage of displaced populations, and the production of awareness-raising materials to promote good practices in using living heritage as a means of strengthening resilience and improving the health and well-being of temporarily displaced populations.

Criterion A.4: Capacity-building and awareness-raising activities involving displaced communities as well as local community centres could ensure the sustainability of the project and contribute to the continued transmission of intangible cultural heritage beyond the implementation of the project. The request also mentions that the project could contribute to improving the well-being and inclusion of the beneficiaries in their host country. It would provide a space for adults and children to share their culture and traditions and learn from each other. Beyond addressing the primary needs of displaced populations in times of conflict, the project aims to create a safe environment for communities to practice their living heritage. Furthermore, the materials developed and the lessons learnt from the project will be taken into consideration in future projects involving displaced communities.

Criterion A.5: The submitting State Party will contribute 7 percent and other partners will contribute a further 3 percent of the total amount of the project budget (US$110,899). Consequently, International Assistance is requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the remaining 90 per cent of the total amount of the project budget.

Criterion A.6: The project has a large capacity-building component for displaced communities, focusing on women, children, the elderly and vulnerable groups. More than thirty workshops will be organized to ensure the intergenerational transmission of the Ukrainian living heritage among communities. These will be combined with the celebration of festive events to strengthen social cohesion, intergenerational and intercultural dialogue. The project is expected to train more than 500 participants in safeguarding their intangible cultural heritage. In addition, the displaced communities and the local authorities involved in the project will be trained on the identification and documentation of intangible cultural heritage. These activities will increase awareness of the 2003 Convention in Slovakia and promote greater recognition of Ukrainian living heritage in their host country.

Criterion A.7: The State Party has not previously received any financial assistance from UNESCO under 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 of national scope, although most activities will be implemented in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, where the majority of Ukrainian refugees reside. The project will be implemented by three key partners: the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Ukrainian community-based NGO ‘Sme spolu’, and the ‘Milan Šimečka Foundation’. The latter is an established NGO with extensive experience in the field of integration, multiculturalism, social cohesion and human rights.

Paragraph 10(b): The project is expected to have a strong multiplier effect as the methodology, capacity-building modules and training materials developed and tested within this project can be used to train community centres and other organizations working with refugees and migrants in Slovakia. The good practices and lessons learnt from the project will also be shared with neighboring countries, including with Ukraine.

7. Approves the International Assistance request from Slovakia for the project entitled To get together - Enhancement of the capacities of displaced communities from Ukraine living in Slovakia through living heritage and grants the amount of US$99,914 to the State Party for this purpose;
8. Commends the State Party for its initiative to submit an emergency request benefitting Ukrainian displaced communities and its will to position the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage as part of its Recovery Plan, consequently contributing to the resilience of the displaced communities;
9. Encourages the State Party to share its experiences and project outcomes with the international community upon the completion of the project;
10. 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;
11. Invites the State Party to use Form ICH-04-Report to report on the use of the assistance granted.