The Committee,
- Having examined document ITH/18/13.COM/15,
- Recalling paragraphs 33 and 34 of the Operational Directives, and its Decisions 10.COM 13, 11.COM 12, 12.COM 13 and 12.COM 14,
- Taking note that the number of files being treated for the 2019 cycle is fifty-one (forty-six national and five multinational files) and that for the 2018 cycle fifty files were treated (forty-four national files and six multinational files),
- Considering that its capacities to examine files during a session are still limited, as are the capacities and human resources of the Secretariat,
- Further considering that the Evaluation Body’s composition and working method are designed to promote both an equitable geographical representation and even representation of experts and NGOs in the evaluation of each criterion of every individual file, the time constraints of which limit its capacity,
- Decides that, in the course of the 2020 and 2021 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$100,000 that can be treated is determined to be fifty per cycle;
- Also decides that at least one file per submitting State should be processed during the two-year period 2020-2021, within the agreed number of nominations per biennium, in conformity with paragraph 34 of the Operational Directive, that those States Parties that submitted files that could not be treated in the 2019 cycle will see their files given priority in the 2020 cycle and that those States Parties whose files will not be examined for the 2021 cycle will be given priority in 2022, following the principle of one file per submitting State during the two-year period;
- Further decides that the Secretariat may exercise some flexibility if that will 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 2020 and 2021 cycles;
- Requests that the Secretariat report to it on the number of files submitted for the 2020 and 2021 cycles, its experience in applying the Operational Directives and the present decision at its fifteenth session.