UNESCO & Intangible Heritage Convention - Jessica Bunning UNESCO - 19 April, 2007 IRCAM, Paris

1. UNESCO & Intangible Heritage Convention - Jessica Bunning UNESCO - 19 April, 2007 IRCAM, Paris UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION

2. UNESCO is a UN Specialized Agency United Nations Education Science Culture Organization - UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION

3. UNESCO & IRCAM in CASPAR UNESCO and IRCAM are partners of European Commission sponsored project: CASPAR Cultural, Artistic and Scientific knowledge for Preservation, Access and Retrieval Challenge- find how digitally encoded information can still be understood and used in the future when the software, systems, and everyday knowledge will have changed. Goal– research, implement and disseminate solutions for digital preservation of digitally encoded information.

4. UNESCO in CASPAR UNESCO will contribute data on World Heritage cultural heritage (tangible) sites (monuments, archaeological sites)from conservation user community. E.g. laser scanner measurements, satellite images to model the associated cultural landscapes, virtual tours and virtual reconstruction.

5. UNESCO in CASPAR Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage Recognizing that such resources of information and creative expression are increasingly produced, distributed, accessed and maintained in digital form, creating a new legacy – the digital heritage, Understanding that this digital heritage is at risk of being lost and its preservation for the benefit of present and future generations is an urgent issue of worldwide concern. Provide guidelines to user community on how to document data properly.

6. UNESCO Intangible Heritage Convention • Adopted: October 2003 • Open for ratification since November 2003 • Ratified by 30 States: 20 January 2006 • Entered into force: 20 April 2006 • Ratified by 75 States The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt Vietnamese Court Music Nha Nhac The Cultural Space of Sosso-Bala in Nyagassola, Guinea

7. Defining Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France The « ICH » means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills– as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith –that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. Oxherding and Oxcart Traditionin Costa Rica

8. Goals of Convention • Safeguarding ICH: ensuring its viability (continued enactment and transmission) involving communities/groups • Awareness raising, ensuring visibility • Dialogue, respect for cultural diversity, sharing and celebrating • International cooperation and assistance The Art of Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang, China

9. Domains covered • Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the ICH • Performing arts • Social practices, rituals and festive events • Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe • Traditional craftsmanship The Traditional Music of Morin Khuur Mongolia

10. 75 States Parties: 12 March 2007

11. Mechanism of the Convention • General Assembly of States Parties • Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage • Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity • List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding • Programmes, projects and activities for safeguarding selected and funded • Fund for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

12. Obligations of States Parties States Parties are committed to safeguarding the ICH present on their territory, starting by its identification, leading to one or more inventories • Community, groups to be involved • Access to be regulated • To be regularly updated Patum de Berga, Spain

13. The Lists • Representative List of the ICH of Humanity • List of the ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding The Garifuna Language, Dance and Music,Nicaragua

14. Documentation and Archiving in Intangible Heritage Convention Documenting ICH as part of Inventories • Inventories are obligation of State Parties at national level of what they consider as their ICH. • State Parties are free to decide on the structure of their inventories. I tenori, Italy

15. Documentation and inscription on List • are in conformity with human rights • are recognised by communities, groups, and in some cases individuals, as forming part of their cultural heritage • are living, rooted in tradition, and constantly recreated • are crucial for the sense of identity and continuity of communities, groups The Ahellil of Gourara, Algeria

16. Documentation and Archiving in Intangible Heritage Convention Documenting ICH for inscription on the List • Will depend on the criteria to be defined by the Intergovernmental Committee. . • File to submit for listing within the framework of Convention is extensive, and requires the intervention of experts or NGOs. • Inputs on how to document ICH elements would be helpful in that perspective.

17. Documentation and Archiving in Intangible Heritage Convention Documenting for safeguarding through transmission or awareness raising: • Sometimes conditions of traditional transmission don’t exist any longer : learning using documentation can help keeping alive some ICH. • Dissemination of information through mass media contributes to raising low self-esteem of ICH bearers or interest of communities in their own traditions.

18. Documenting and ArchivingIntangible Heritage • Many countries have experience in documenting and archiving elements of their ICH. • The Convention is in the process of analysing how docmentation can be used for the benefit of implementation of Convention. Zápara People, Ecuador-Peru

19. Conclusion • UNESCO is interested in the developments of IRCAM in documentation and archiving of intangible heritage and supports this work. • In particular UNESCO would be interested to see if there are any international standard settings that can be developed in describing ICH elements.

20. UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 France Tel: 00 33 (0) 1456 84519 Fax: 00 33 (0) 1456 85752 r.smeets@unesco.org www.unesco.org/culture/ich UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION

21. Features of the Convention Features of the Convention • Introduces List system; main focus on safeguarding programmes and projects • Emphasis on living heritage, enacted by people, often collectively, mostly transmitted orally • Attention for processes/enabling conditions rather than for products • Role of communities/groups • Contribution to promotion of creativity and diversity, to well-being (of communities and groups and societies at large) and peaceful development Taquile and its Textile Art, Peru

22. General Assembly • Sovereign Body of the Convention • Ordinary session every 2 years • Elects the members of the Committee • Approves the Operational Directives • 1st ordinary session June 2006 (Paris); 1st extr. session November 2006 (Paris); 2nd ord. session June 2008 (Paris) The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt

23. Intergovernmental Committee • 24 members (18 + 6) • 4 year term, renewal of half of the members every 2 years • Principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation • Members to send experts as their representatives The Art of Akyns, Kyrgyz Epic Tellers Kyrgyzstan

24. Functions of the Committee • Implement the Convention • Prepare Operational Directives for the implementation • Examine requests for inscription on the Lists • Make recommendations on safeguarding measures • Select and fund safeguarding projects • Seek means of increasing its resources • Examine periodic reports of States Parties The Pansori Epic Chant Republic of Korea

25. Safeguarding of heritage inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List Preparation of inventories Programmes, projects and other activities in States Parties (incl. capacity building) Other purposes The Fund: providing international assistance for Zápara People, Ecuador-Peru Congos of Villa Mella Dominican Republic

26. Intangible Heritage Convention • Traditional living practices, expressions, representations, underlying skills and knowledge • Associated instruments, objects, artefacts, and cultural spaces that by communities/groups are recognized as part of their cultural heritage. The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt Vietnamese Court Music Nha Nhac The Cultural Space of Sosso-Bala in Nyagassola, Guinea

27. Distinctive features of ICH • The depository of ICH is the human mind, the human body being the main instrument for its enactment, or – literally – embodiment. • The knowledge and skills are often shared within a community, and manifestations of ICH often are performed collectively. • Safeguarding includes transmission from person(s) to – as a rule younger – person(s) • ICH has continuously evolving form, function and values Baul Songs, Bangladesh