The Committee,

1. Having examined document LHE/20/15.COM/9,

2. Recalling paragraphs 33 and 34 of the Operational Directives, as well as its Decisions 10.COM 13, 11.COM 12, 12.COM 13, 12.COM 14 and 13.COM 15 and Resolution 8.GA 11,

3. Considering that its capacities to examine files during a cycle are still limited, as are the capacities and human resources of the Secretariat,

4. Further considering that the Evaluation Body’s composition and working methods are designed to promote both an equitable geographical representation and an even representation of experts and non-governmental organizations in the evaluation of each criterion of every individual file, the time constraints of which limit its capacity,

5. Takes note of the fact that sixty files are being treated for the 2021 cycle (fifty-five national files and five multinational ones) and that fifty-three are being treated for the 2020 cycle (thirty-seven national files and sixteen multinational ones), while welcoming the efforts of the Secretariat to increase the number of files for the 2021 cycle from fifty to sixty;

6. Decides that, in the course of the 2022 and 2023 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 at least fifty-five per cycle;

7. Further decides that at least one file per submitting State should be processed during the two-year period of 2022–2023, in conformity with paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives, and that those States Parties that submitted files that could not be treated in the 2021 cycle will see their files given priority in the 2022 cycle, following the principle of one file per submitting State during the two-year period;

8. Also decides that the Secretariat may exercise some flexibility if this will permit greater equity among submitting States with equal priority under paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives;

9. Requests that the Secretariat consider the possibility of also treating, according to its resources and those of the Evaluation Body:

   - priority (i) national files from submitting States with no elements inscribed on any of the Lists, good safeguarding practices selected or requests for International Assistance greater than US$100,000 approved, as well as nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding,

   - priority (ii) multinational files, giving priority to files from States with no national elements inscribed;

10. Invites States Parties to take the present decision into account when submitting files for the 2022 and 2023 cycles;

11. Further requests that the Secretariat report to it on the number of files submitted for the 2022 and 2023 cycles, its experience in applying the Operational Directives and the present decision at its seventeenth session.