Overview
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Category II Centers for the protection of intangible cultural heritage were previously absent in the Asia-Pacific region, but to enforce the Convention of the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and to achieve stronger national policies to enforce the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritages in the Asia-Pacific region, approval was granted at the October 2009 UNESCO World Conference for the establishment in Japan of a international research center for intangible cultural heritages in the Asia-Pacific region under the auspices of UNESCO. In August of 2010, an official agreement between UNESCO and the Japanese government was reached concerning the establishment of such a facility.
The center created as a result is the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region. It was opened on October 3, 2011 as a UNESCO Category II Centre. The long-term missions of the centre are to:
- Facilitate research and studies on intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region
- Encourage cooperation with the following projects carried out by Sakai City