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/24/19.COM 3.BUR/3 as well as International Assistance request no. 02147 submitted by Equatorial Guinea,
3. Takes note that Equatorial Guinea has requested International Assistance for the project entitled Implementation of a plan for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Equatorial Guinea: training and pilot inventory of traditional dances:

To be implemented by the Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Handicraft Promotion, this twenty-one-month project aims to build national capacity for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Equatorial Guinea and to establish a pilot inventory. The project involves a series of training workshops on the principles of the 2003 Convention, inventorying and safeguarding. It also entails carrying out safeguarding and awareness-raising activities and conducting a participatory pilot inventory. The inventory will focus on traditional dances and their associated elements, given their multi-ethnic and nationwide scope. Regional workshops will be coordinated in collaboration with neighbouring communities and villages, to ensure the participation of diverse social and ethnic groups, as well as gender equality. They will also provide information about the viability and transmission of the elements to be included in the inventory and contribute to the communication materials, including brochures and audiovisual materials. The project is expected to generate interest in living heritage among bearers, communities and cultural associations, among others. It is also expected to result in further safeguarding activities, such as the organization of local traditional dance festivals and the development of safeguarding plans.

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 Equatorial Guinea has requested an allocation of US$100,000 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of the project;
6. Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 02147, 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: This project was initiated in response to a request from the State Party for technical assistance to prepare its first International Assistance request. In April 2024, a Spanish-speaking expert undertook a mission to the requesting State Party, during which the national authorities convened a workshop involving over thirty participants who shared their safeguarding needs and gave their consent to participate in the project. A variety of stakeholders, including dancers, artists, students, officials and community representatives, contributed to these discussions. It was agreed that the request should focus on the safeguarding of traditional dances, which are at risk of disappearance and therefore need to be revitalized. Communities will participate in the planning, monitoring and follow-up of the project.

Criterion A.2: The budget is well structured, and the project costs are clearly explained. The amount of assistance requested is deemed appropriate for the implementation of the proposed activities.

Criterion A.3: The request presents five main activities: (a) the establishment of project coordination bodies; (b) capacity building workshops; (c) community-based inventorying; (d) the implementation of safeguarding projects; and (e) awareness raising. The activities are presented in a logical sequence and correspond to the objectives and expected results outlined in the request.

Criterion A.4: The project will have lasting results, as it illustrates the commitment of the State Party to give greater visibility to living heritage and, more broadly, to cultural heritage. Through a wide range of activities, it will contribute to promoting cultural tourism, raising public awareness about the importance of safeguarding traditional dances, and mobilizing financial resources from national authorities to support these practices. The State Party’s decision to start with a pilot inventory of traditional dances, a practice deeply rooted throughout the territory, aims to enhance social cohesion and promote the cultural diversity of all communities.

Criterion A.5: The requesting State Party will contribute 12 per cent (US$13,541) of the total amount of the project budget (US$113,541). Consequently, International Assistance is requested from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the remaining 88 per cent of the total amount of the project.

Criterion A.6: The specific objective of the request is to build national and local capacities to safeguard intangible cultural heritage. The project has two training components. The first is a training of trainers that will form a solid group of thirty resource persons in the field of intangible cultural heritage. These trainers will come from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Handicraft Promotion, universities, and cultural institutions and they will conduct training workshops throughout the country. The second component consists of a series of eight workshops to train communities, bearers, youth and staff from local associations on the key principles of the 2003 Convention and on community-based inventory methodologies. A total of 200 participants will take part in these workshops. The project will contribute to the dissemination of knowledge to community members in the provinces and support the development of future inventories at the local and national levels.

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

Paragraph 10(a): The project is national in scope and involves national and local partners, including the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Handicraft Promotion, the National Commission to UNESCO, and provincial and local authorities.

Paragraph 10(b): The project is expected to contribute to raising awareness on the importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, particularly traditional dances. Furthermore, 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. They may also encourage similar initiatives for the inventorying of intangible cultural heritage in Equatorial Guinea.

7. Approves the International Assistance request from Equatorial Guinea for the project entitled Implementation of a plan for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Equatorial Guinea: training and pilot inventory of traditional dances, and grants the amount of US$100,000 for the implementation of this project;
8. Notes with interest the plan to provide two microgrants as a potential mechanism of supporting communities in safeguarding living heritage and encourages the State Party to provide detailed feedback on the effectiveness of this initiative when reporting on the use of the assistance granted;
9. 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 the work plan of the activities to be covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund are detailed and specific enough to provide a sufficient justification of all the expenditures;
10. Invites the requesting State Party to use Form ICH-04-Report to report on the use of the assistance granted.