India has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for the 2022-2026 cycle.

The elections for the Intergovernmental Committee took place during the 9th General Assembly of the 2003 Convention held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris, from July 5-7, 2022. 

India has served as a member of the ICH Committee twice — from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018. 

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

• The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage entered into force on April 20, 2006.

• The General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention is the sovereign body of the Convention. 

• The General Assembly meets in ordinary session every two years and may convene extraordinary sessions if it deems it necessary or at the request of either the Committee or of at least one-third of the States Parties.

• The General Assembly gives strategic orientations for the implementation of the Convention and elects the 24 members of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

• Member States to the Committee are elected for a term of four years.

• Half of the Committee members are renewed every two years. 

• In order to reflect the diversity of opinions and of safeguarding measures concerning intangible cultural heritage around the world, the General Assembly decided to apply the principle of equitable geographical distribution to the election of Committee members. 

• The number of Committee members from each region proportionally depends on the number of States from that region that have already ratified the Convention.

• Against the four seats falling vacant within the Asia-Pacific group, six countries — India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand — had presented their candidature. 

• India received 110 votes from the 155 States Parties that were present and voting.

Core functions of the Committee are to:

• Promote the objectives of the Convention, provide guidance on best practices and make recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage.

• Use the resources of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund in accordance with the guidelines and the biannual plan adopted by the General Assembly.

• Inscribe intangible cultural heritage manifestations proposed by States Parties on the Lists of the Convention mentioned in Articles 16 and 17.

• Select and promote programmes, projects and activities submitted by States Parties which best reflect the objectives and principles of the Convention, as mentioned in its Article 18.

• Propose to the General Assembly the accreditation of non-governmental organisations which may have advisory functions to the Committee.

What will be India’s role in the Committee?

• India ratified the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in September 2005. 

• As one of the earliest State Parties to ratify the Convention, India has shown great commitment towards matters related to intangible heritage and has actively encouraged other States Parties to ratify it. 

• With 14 inscriptions on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, India also ranks high in the listing of intangible cultural heritage. 

• After the inscription of Durga Puja in 2021, India submitted the nomination for Garba of Gujarat to be discussed in 2023.

• As a member of the intergovernmental committee, India will have the opportunity to closely monitor the implementation of the 2003 Convention. 

• For its 2022-2026 term, India has formulated a clear vision for the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

• Some of the priority areas that India will focus upon include fostering community participation, strengthening international cooperation through intangible heritage, promoting academic research on intangible cultural heritage and aligning the work of the Convention with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

• To strengthen the scope and impact of the Convention, India seeks to mobilise the capacity of different actors worldwide to effectively safeguard intangible heritage. 

• Also noting the imbalance in the inscriptions on the three lists of the Convention — Urgent Safeguarding List, Representative List and Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, India shall endeavour to encourage international dialogue within the States Parties to the Convention to better showcase the diversity and importance of living heritage.

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