IRCI’s Asia-Pacific Research Forum for ICH Safeguarding hosted the special online seminar entitled ‘20 YEARS OF THE 2003 CONVENTION: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT’ on 25 October and 1 November 2023, as a part of UNESCO’s celebration for the 20th Anniversary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The seminar aimed to review the progress, achievements and challenges of safeguarding ICH and explore the future strategy from multiple perspectives such as those of UNESCO and the 2003 Convention, World Heritage, countries that have no inscribed elements and that have yet to ratify the Convention, and local communities of ICH elements that have been inscribed on the lists of the Convention. For the list of presenters and presentation titles, please click here.

The seminar was given in two sessions. Session 1 on 25 October dealt with the theme of ‘Advancement of the Safeguarding of ICH: the 2003 Convention and Beyond’. 6 presenters and a commentator from international organizations, research institutions and universities discussed the historical development of the 2003 Convention and challenges at the international and national levels. Efforts and possibilities of 3 countries (Papua New Guinea, Maldives, and Australia) for listing their ICH elements or ratifying the Convention were also presented, along with various political, cultural and religious issues that each country has. Session 2 on 1 November, under the theme of ‘Dialogue with the Bearers of ICH Elements on the Lists of the Convention’, brought together practitioners and experts of inscribed ICH elements of Baul songs in Bangladesh, Sand Drawings in Vanuatu, Falconry (multinational inscription) in Kazakhstan, and Biyelgee and Limbe performances in Mongolia. The session provided a venue to share their experiences and thoughts on various topics including changes and challenges in safeguarding and transmitting their respective ICH elements after inscription, and national policies and strategies that support ICH safeguarding.

Video recordings of the two sessions will be made available online. Please follow and visit IRCI’s official Facebook Page, Facebook group of the Asia-Pacific Research Forum for ICH Safeguarding, or IRCI’s website for further announcement.