1. Intangible Heritage Convention
UNESCO
&
Intangible Heritage Convention -
Jessica Bunning
19 April, 2007
IRCAM, Paris
Story, challenges, tasks, new enterprise,
30,000 hrs
Definitions applications
UNESCO
INTANGIBLE
HERITAGE
SECTION

2. UNESCO is a UN Specialized Agency
United
Nations
Education
Science
Culture
Organization -
UNESCO
INTANGIBLE
HERITAGE
SECTION

3. UNESCO & IRCAM in CASPAR
UNESCO and IRCAM are partners of European Commission sponsored project: CASPAR
Cultural, Artistic and Scientific knowledge for Preservation, Access and Retrieval
Challenge - find how digitally encoded information can still be understood and used in the future when the software, systems, and everyday knowledge will have changed.
Goal – research, implement and disseminate solutions for digital preservation of digitally encoded information.
IRCAM and UNESCO already have experience of working together. This is currently with the European Union sponosred project CASPAR.
The project CASPAR - Cultural, Artistic and Scientific knowledge for Preservation, Access and Retrieval – is an Integrated Project co-financed by the European Union within the Sixth Framework Program that started on 1 April The challenge of CASPAR is to find how digitally encoded information can still be understood and used in the future when the software, systems, and everyday knowledge will have changed. Digital information is extremely vulnerable.
A huge amount of precious digital information created and stored all over the world becomes inaccessible every few years at a very fast pace. Just imagine losing official records, a museum archive, irreplaceable scientific data, or even a collection of family photos, and we realize digital preservation is affecting us all.
CASPAR will research, implement, and disseminate innovative solutions for digital preservation based on the OAIS reference model.
IRCAM and CASPAR
IRCAM is in charge of coordinating and putting in place an artistic platform, through the conservation of the collection of interactive pieces created at Ircam. This platform will make possible the conservation and dissemination of the information and digital elements necessary for the performance of an interactive piece (e.g. Max patches, sound files, elements from the score, etc.) in a structured format. It also aims to move ahead in the formalization of the musical descriptions of the pieces, independent of any technical implementation, in order to prepare their conservation long-term. Another objective for mid-term conservation is the development of tools to aid in the pieces "porting, therefore facilitating the musical assistants" work of adapting to technological developments (changes due to new versions of the applications and operating systems).

4. UNESCO in CASPAR
UNESCO will contribute data on World Heritage cultural heritage (tangible) sites (monuments, archaeological sites) from conservation user community.
E.g. laser scanner measurements, satellite images to model the associated cultural landscapes, virtual tours and virtual reconstruction.
Participation of UNESCO in this high-tech project for the protection of data is related to UNESCO’s core
activities: Culture, Science and Education.
UNESCO is providing data centered on the UNESCO inscribed sites (World Heritage sites and Biosphere reserves).
For example data from laser scanner measurements, satellite images to model the associated cultural landscapes, virtual tours and virtual reconstruction.

5. UNESCO in CASPAR Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage
Recognizing that such resources of information and creative expression are increasingly produced, distributed, accessed and maintained in digital form, creating a new legacy – the digital heritage, Understanding that this digital heritage is at risk of being lost and its preservation for the benefit of present and future generations is an urgent issue of worldwide concern.
Provide guidelines to user community on how to document data properly.
UNESCO is responding to concerns of Member States (UNESCO’s Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage)
Will provide guidelines for all our users on how to document Data properly.

6. UNESCO Intangible Heritage Convention
Adopted: October 2003
Open for ratification since November 2003
Ratified by 30 States: 20 January 2006
Entered into force: 20 April 2006
Ratified by 75 States
The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt
UNESCO has a convention to protect tangible cultural heritage – the World Heritage Convention and is using data on these sites to contribute to the CASPAR project.
A 2nd reason why UNESCO and IRCAM have common points of interest is intangible heritage. As UNESCO has another Convention focusing on Intangible Heritage.
Vietnamese Court Music
Nha Nhac
The Cultural Space of Sosso-Bala in Nyagassola, Guinea

7. Defining Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France
The « ICH » means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.
Oxherding and Oxcart Tradition in Costa Rica

8. Goals of Convention
Safeguarding ICH: ensuring its viability (continued enactment and transmission) involving communities/groups
Awareness raising, ensuring visibility
Dialogue, respect for cultural diversity, sharing and celebrating
International cooperation and assistance
Convention intends to safeguard living intangible cultural heritage ‐ that is such manifestations that are spontaneously transmitted from generation to generation, that are liable to change at every manifestation and that are representative for groups and communities, in being of primary importance for their sense of identity and continuity.  
The Art of Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang, China

9. Domains covered
Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the ICH
Performing arts
Social practices,
rituals and festive events
Knowledge and practices
concerning nature
and the universe
Traditional craftsmanship
The Traditional Music of Morin Khuur
Mongolia
Oral traditions and expressions including languages as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage;
Performing arts (such as traditional music, dance and theatre);
Social practices, rituals and festive events;
Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe;
Traditional craftsmanship.

10. 75 States Parties: 12 March 2007

11. Mechanism of the Convention
General Assembly of States Parties
Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
Programmes, projects and activities for safeguarding selected and funded
Fund for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
The 2003 Convention proposes safeguarding measures such as definition, identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission (particularly through formal and non-formal education), as well as revitalization of the various aspects of the intangible heritage. Among the measures to be taken at the national level, the Convention highlights the need to identify, define and inventory the various elements of the intangible cultural heritage present in a State Party’s territory, with the participation of communities, groups and relevant non-governmental organisations.
The 2003 Convention establishes a General Assembly of States Parties;
an Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage initially composed of representatives of 18 States Parties The Committee is the organ that will implement the Convention.
The Committee will, for example, examine the requests submitted by the States Parties for inscription on the Lists and for the granting of international assistance.;

12. Obligations of States Parties
States Parties are committed to safeguarding the ICH present on their territory, starting by its identification, leading to one or more inventories
Community, groups to be involved
Access to be regulated
To be regularly updated
When becoming a Party to the Convention, the State commits to taking the necessary measures to ensure the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage present in its territory. The first measure to be taken by the State Party is to identify and define the various elements of that heritage with the participation of communities, groups and non-governmental organizations. To ensure the identification of the intangible cultural heritage, States Parties are specifically asked to draw up one or more inventories of their intangible cultural heritage. The Convention, in its article 12, leaves a great deal of freedom when it stipulates that each State Party shall draw, in a manner geared to its own situation, one or more inventories of the ICH present in its territory. In spite of this freedom left to States Parties in drafting inventories, the Convention does impose a number of restricting conditions and obligations, most explicitly concerning community involvement:
Venezuela, China
1. Community involvement: The State is to ensure the participation of communities, groups and relevant non-governmental organizations when identifying and defining the various elements of the ICH that are to be inserted in inventories (article 12).
2. Access: In this context it is also useful to refer to article 13.d.ii of the Convention which wishes each State Party to adopt appropriate measures aimed at ensuring access to the ICH while respecting customary practices governing specific aspects of such heritage.
6. Updating: The inventories have to be regularly updated (article 12); updating is in order in view of the evolving character of ICH and because of possible sudden changes in degrees of endangerment. Some inventories that were reported on, list elements that no longer exist; many inventories contain elements that were inserted a long time ago.
(W)ithin the framework of its safeguarding activities if the ICH, each State Party shall endeavour to ensure the widest possible participation of communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals that create, maintain and transmit such heritage, and to involve them actively in its management. 
Thus, the Convention explicitly expects States Parties to the Convention to involve in their national safeguarding activities the grups and communities who are the holders and transmitters of the elements that are to be safeguarded. 
Patum de Berga, Spain

13. The Lists Representative List of the ICH of Humanity
List of the ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY
Inspired by the success of the List created under the World Heritage Convention, and by that of the Proclamation of Masterpieces, the Convention establishes its Representative List. This List will have a major role in ensuring better visibility of the intangible cultural heritage, in increasing awareness of its significance and also in encouraging dialogue that respects cultural diversity.
LIST OF INTANGIBLE HERITAGE IN NEED OF URGENT SAFEGUARDING
The Intergovernmental Committee shall also establish, keep up to date and publish a List of Intangible Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The Committee, when drawing up the criteria for inscription on this List, will have to determine when an element of the intangible cultural heritage will be considered as “in need of urgent safeguarding” and under what conditions it can be inscribed on this List.
Criteria for selection for inscription on the Lists: The Convention refers to the future Intergovernmental Committee for the elaboration of these criteria. The raw material for these criteria can be found in the Convention’s definition of ICH and elsewhere in the text of the Convention.
Experts meeting on Selection Criteria (December 2006):
The experts felt that a distinction should be made between intrinsic or qualifying criteria as determined in the definition of ICH given in article 2.1, and extrinsic or procedural criteria that oblige to comply with technical or administrative aspects as further to be developed in the Operational Directives that will guide the implementation of the Convention.
Besides, elements proposed for listing also need to comply with other prerequisites of the Convention as established in its Preamble and article 2. Two of these threshold requirements were explicitly identified: an element that is to be proposed for inscription (i) has to fall within one or more of the domains of ICG as recognized by art. 2.2 of the Convention and (ii) must be compatible with international human rights instruments
The Garifuna Language,
Dance and Music, Nicaragua

14. Documentation and Archiving in Intangible Heritage Convention
Documenting ICH as part of
Inventories
Inventories are obligation of State
Parties at national level of what
they consider as their ICH.
State Parties are free to decide on
the structure of their inventories.
I tenori, Italy

15. Documentation and inscription on List
are in conformity with human rights
are recognised by communities, groups, and in some cases individuals, as forming part of their cultural heritage
are living, rooted in tradition, and constantly recreated
are crucial for the sense of identity and continuity of communities, groups
Concerning the qualifying, also called intrinsic criteria, the experts referred to the definition of intangible cultural heritage given in article 2.1 of the Convention and recalled that elements proposed for listing must be recognised by the communities, groups, and in some cases individuals, as forming part of their cultural heritage; living, thus transmitted in a span of time and constantly recreated, and crucial for the identity and sense of continuity of the community or group. Concerning the extrinsic criteria, or procedural criteria, proposed ICH elements must comply with requirements such as the enhancement of the diversity of the Representative List
the preparation of a safeguarding plan (or system), the submission following a nomination format,
the inscription on a national representative list (tentative list). The experts considered that the extrinsic criteria should also be used as burdens of proof or thresholds in order to limit the number of inscription and keep the lists manageable.
Proof must be given that the element submitted for inscription:
is considered by the community, group or, if appropriate, the individuals concerned as part of their cultural heritage;
provides the community or group involved with a sense of identity and continuity, based on shared experience and collective memory;
is rooted in the community or the group in which it is continuously transmitted and recreated;
would enhance, by being inscribed on it, the diversity of ICH on the List,
thus reflecting cultural diversity worldwide and testifying to human creativity;
is already inscribed on a National Representative List that complies with all relevant criteria established for selection for the Convention’s Representative List ;
is submitted with the prior and informed consent of the community, group, or, if applicable, the individuals concerned and that it/they has/have participated  at all stages of processes of identification, definition, documentation and nomination;
is being effectively safeguarded through appropriate means and measures, or may be effectively safeguarded by means of a well elaborated and feasible plan for safeguarding.
The Ahellil of Gourara, Algeria

16. Documentation and Archiving in Intangible Heritage Convention
Documenting ICH for inscription on the List
Will depend on the criteria to be defined by the
Intergovernmental Committee. .
File to submit for listing within the framework
of Convention is extensive, and requires
the intervention of experts or NGOs.
Inputs on how to document ICH elements
would be helpful in that perspective.
Proof that the element is representative and distinctive for a community
Living and traditional
In conformity with human rights
It seems appropriate in this context to emphasize that ICH traditionally is mainly transmitted orally and that recording and documentation should respect the oral dimension of the ICH expressions and practices. This means that when we are speaking about documentation and archiving in relation to the 2003 Convention, we are dealing with the need to record, to document, to archive and to make accessible the enactment and transmission of living practices in their social context, with a number of clear purposes, and under certain conditions as determined by the Convention.  

17. Documentation and Archiving in Intangible Heritage Convention
Documenting for safeguarding through
transmission or awareness raising:
Sometimes conditions of traditional transmission don’t exist any longer : learning using documentation can help keeping alive some ICH.
Dissemination of information through mass media contributes to raising low self-esteem of ICH bearers or interest of communities in their own traditions.

18. Documenting and Archiving Intangible Heritage
Many countries have experience in documenting and archiving elements of their ICH.
The Convention is in the process of analysing how docmentation can be used for the benefit of implementation of Convention.
Many countries already have experience in documenting and archiving elements of their ICH. However, purposes and, consequently, approaches used differ widely from each other. There are extremely valuable collections of documentation in the field of ICH in many parts of the world. The States Parties to the Convention will have to be advised on whether and how these collections can be used for the benefit of the implementation of the 2003 Convntion.
Since the Convention stresses the value and the function of ICH for the commun ities and groups concerned, as well as the importance of its continued transmissi on, it seems clear that the function of ICH elements and the way or ways in whic h they are transmitted deserve appropriate attentin in the processes of recording  and documentation.
The challenge is whether and, if yes, how documentation might contribute to co ntinued transmission in traditional ways and how it may contribute to the develo pment of new forms of transmission, in both types of cases without in the act fre ezing the element in question.
Zápara People, Ecuador-Peru

19. Conclusion
UNESCO is interested in the developments of IRCAM in documentation and archiving of intangible heritage and supports this work.
In particular UNESCO would be interested to see if there are any international standard settings that can be developed in describing ICH elements.
states further that this intangible cultural heritage is transmitted from generation to generation, that it is constantly recreated and that it provides its bearers with a sense of identity and continuity.
This type of information may assist State Parties in inventories also that would be crossed domains and transboundary across countries.
This would assist state parties in preparation of development of lists (inventories) as a reference to follow – and would ease the international community in accessing and retrieving information on ICH.

20. INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION
UNESCO
INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION
1, rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15
France
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UNESCO
INTANGIBLE
HERITAGE
SECTION

21. Features of the Convention
Introduces List system; main focus on safeguarding programmes and projects
Emphasis on living heritage, enacted by people, often collectively, mostly transmitted orally
Attention for processes/enabling conditions rather than for products
Role of communities/groups
Contribution to promotion of creativity and diversity, to well-being (of communities and groups and societies at large) and peaceful development
plus beauty sharing en samen verantwoordelijk
Taquile and its Textile Art, Peru

22. General Assembly Sovereign Body of the Convention
Ordinary session every 2 years
Elects the members of the Committee
Approves the Operational
Directives
1st ordinary session
June 2006 (Paris); 1st
extr. session November
2006 (Paris); 2nd ord.
session June 2008 (Paris)
The General Assembly of States Parties
Article 4 of the Convention states that the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention is the sovereign body of the Convention. It shall meet in ordinary session every two years, and it may meet in extraordinary session if it so decides, or at the request either of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, or of at least one third of the States Parties. The General Assembly shall adopt its Rules of Procedure and it will discuss and eventually approve the documents that the Committee will prepare on its behalf.
The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt

23. Intergovernmental Committee
24 members (18 + 6)
4 year term, renewal of half of the members every 2 years
Principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation
Members to send experts as their
representatives
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Committee is the organ that will implement the Convention. The Committee will, for example, examine the requests submitted by the States Parties for inscription on the Lists and for the granting of international assistance. The Committee, which will be assisted by UNESCO’s Secretariat, will probably meet once a year.
The first Committee will be composed of representatives of 18 States Parties. The States Members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years, and every two years the General Assembly shall renew half of them. There is one exception: the term of office of half of the States Members of the Committee to be elected at the first election is limited to two years. A State Member of the Committee may not be elected for two consecutive terms. The election of States Members of the Committee shall not only obey the principle of rotation, but also that of equitable geographical distribution.
This first Committee will be especially important, since it has the crucial task of preparing the first set of Operational Directives for the implementation of the Convention. The members of the first Committee will thus have the important responsibility of giving the new Convention its orientation. Other major functions of the Committee are listed in Article 7 of the Convention.
The Art of Akyns, Kyrgyz Epic Tellers
Kyrgyzstan

24. Functions of the Committee
Implement the Convention
Prepare Operational Directives for the implementation
Examine requests for inscription on the Lists
Make recommendations on safeguarding measures
Select and fund safeguarding projects
Seek means of increasing its resources
Examine periodic reports of States Parties
The Pansori Epic Chant
Republic of Korea

25. The Fund: providing international assistance for
Safeguarding of heritage inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List
Preparation of inventories
Programmes, projects and other activities in States Parties (incl. capacity building)
Other purposes
Article 25: Nature and resources of the Fund
A “Fund for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage”, hereinafter referred to as “the Fund”, is hereby established. The Fund shall consist of funds-in-trust established in accordance with the Financial Regulations of UNESCO. The resources of the Fund shall consist of:
- contributions made by States Parties;
- funds appropriated for this purpose by the General Conference of UNESCO;
- contributions, gifts or bequests which may be made by:
other States;
organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, particularly the United Nations Development Programme, as well as other international organizations;
public or private bodies or individuals;
any interest due on the resources of the Fund;
funds raised through collections, and receipts from events organized for the benefit of the Fund;
any other resources authorized by the Fund’s regulations, to be drawn up by the Committee.
The use of resources by the Committee shall be decided on the basis of guidelines laid down by the General Assembly. The Committee may accept contributions and other forms of assistance for general and specific purposes relating to specific projects, provided that those projects have been approved by the Committee.
No political, economic or other conditions which are incompatible with the objectives of this Convention may be attached to contributions made to the Fund.
Zápara People, Ecuador-Peru
Congos of Villa Mella
Dominican Republic

26. Intangible Heritage Convention
Traditional living practices, expressions, representations, underlying skills and knowledge
Associated instruments, objects, artefacts, and cultural spaces that by communities/groups are recognized as part of their cultural heritage.
The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt
“ICH”, for the purposes of this Convention, meaning traditional but living practices, expressions and representations, and underlying skills and knowledge, as well as associated instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces, that by communities and groups are recognized as part of their cultural heritage (see article 2.1).
Vietnamese Court Music
Nha Nhac
The Cultural Space of Sosso-Bala in Nyagassola, Guinea

27. Distinctive features of ICH
The depository of ICH is the human mind, the human body being the main instrument for its enactment, or – literally – embodiment.
The knowledge and skills are often shared within a community, and manifestations of ICH often are performed collectively.
Safeguarding includes transmission from person(s) to – as a rule younger – person(s)
ICH has continuously evolving form, function and values
Baul Songs, Bangladesh