UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Monegasque delegation attends 17th session of Committee in Rabat

S.E. Mme Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, Ambassadeur, Délégué Permanent de la Principauté de Monaco auprès de l'UNESCO ©DR

The 17^th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was held in Rabat (Morocco) from 28 November to 3 December, chaired by the Kingdom of Morocco.

As the United Nations organisation responsible for culture, UNESCO ensures the safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage. This heritage, governed by a convention adopted in 2003, to which Monaco is a party, includes traditional knowledge, art and skills.

The Committee is responsible for ensuring that the convention is properly implemented. This session was attended by 2,000 participants from more than 110 countries. The Monaco delegation was led by H.E. Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. She was accompanied by Ms Agatha Korczak, First Secretary.

The Principality of Monaco, which contributes to the fund established under the convention, received thanks from the UNESCO Secretariat and in one of the decisions adopted by the States.

As a result of the 17^th session, 47 new elements were inscribed, including:

- 4 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;

- 39 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;

- 4 on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.

A third of the elements inscribed this year relate to nature, emphasising the importance of safeguarding biodiversity.

Another third of the new inscriptions relate to practices associated with protecting the environment. These include, for example, farming techniques that seek to use resources in a sustainable way. Such elements are a reminder that ancestral knowledge can offer one approach to tackling the challenges of our era, like climate change.

Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, congratulated “the States who put forward these proposals, the members of the Committee for the quality of the discussions, Morocco for its hospitality and the 180 States who bring this UNESCO convention to life.” She noted that “this living heritage plays a vital role in bringing people together and building peace in people’s minds.”