On 11 December, IRCI organized a roundtable session titled ‘Exploring Synergies between Tangible and Intangible Heritage: The Role of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Safeguarding Cultural Landscapes in the Asia-Pacific Region’ as a side event of the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (20.COM), held in New Delhi, India, from 8 to 13 December 2025.

The session aimed to widely disseminate the outcomes of IRCI’s recent project, ‘Research on ICH Contributing to SDGs: Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Cities and Communities’ (FY2022–2024) to stakeholders involved in the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, including government officials from various countries, and explored how tangible and intangible heritage can work together to protect cultural landscapes.

Focusing on the synergy between tangible and intangible heritage within the cultural landscapes of the Asia-Pacific region, four experts from Australia, Cambodia, India, and Kyrgyzstan who contributed to the project were invited to share case studies demonstrating the role of intangible heritage in safeguarding cultural landscapes across diverse contexts.

This event highlighting the integrated safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage was timely as the Guidance note on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in urban contexts was released at the Intergovernmental Committee. Approximately 30 participants including experts from various countries joined the event.

Many participants asked questions and expressed opinions about the event after the session, which showed that it was a great opportunity to effectively promote IRCI’s projects and activities.

Round table session organized by IRCI at the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee (20.COM)
on 11 December 2025