The visions and missions of IRCI approved at the First Governing Board Meeting (2011) and later modified at the Forth Governing Board Meeting (2015) are as follows:

VISION

1. Promote UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as “the 2003 Convention”) in the Asia-Pacific region on the ground of Article 4 Paragraph 1 of the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) regarding the establishment, in Japan, of an international research centre for intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific region under the auspices of UNESCO (Category2) (hereinafter referred to as “the Agreement”).
2. Achieve the objectives prescribed in Article 4 Paragraph 1 of the Agreement, through the functions outlined in Article 4 Paragraph 2 of the Agreement.
3. Contribute to the achievement of UNESCO’s Medium-term Strategy 37C/4 Strategic Objectives 7 (protecting, promoting and transmitting heritage) and 8 (fostering creativity and diversity of cultural expressions), and quadrennial Programme and Budget 37C/5, through the functions outlined in Article 4 Paragraph 2 of the Agreement.

MISSION

1. To instigate and coordinate research into practices and methodologies of safeguarding endangered intangible cultural heritage elements present in the Asia-Pacific region, while cooperating with universities, research institutions, community representatives and other governmental and non-governmental organizations in Japan and elsewhere in the region.
2. To assist, in terms of research, countries in the Asia-Pacific region in implementing such measures as referred to in Articles 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the 2003 Convention, while paying special attention to developing countries;
3. To organise workshops and seminars focusing on the role of research as a useful component for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage and related practices and methodologies, involving experts, community representatives and administrators from the Asia-Pacific region;
4. To encourage and assist young researchers in the Asia-Pacific region engaging in research activities related to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage;
5. To cooperate with other category 2 centres and institutions active in the domain of safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage, in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond; and
6. To initiate cooperation among all other interested institutions active in the domain of safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage, while furthering technical assistance vis-a-vis developing countries, in the Asia-Pacific region.

LONG- & MEDIUM-TERM PROGRAMMES & WORK PLANS

All research projects are conducted by IRCI in line with its long- and medium-term programmes and work plans, which were approved by the IRCI Governing Board Meeting (GBM).