India hosts UNESCO’s 20th ICH Session from Dec 8 to 13

The Union Government is hosting the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from 8 to 13 December in New Delhi.

The historic Red Fort complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been chosen as the venue, symbolising the convergence of India’s tangible and intangible heritage under one roof, the government said.

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This will be the first time that India hosts the ICH Committee session, and the meeting will be chaired by Vishal V Sharma, India’s permanent delegate to UNESCO. The event coincides with the 20th anniversary of India’s ratification of the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2005, underscoring India’s sustained commitment to preserving living cultural traditions.

Intangible cultural heritage, as UNESCO defines it, includes the practices, knowledge, expressions, objects, and spaces that communities see as part of their cultural identity. Passed down over generations, this heritage evolves, strengthening cultural identity and appreciation of diversity.

For the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO adopted the 2003 Convention on October 17, 2003, during its 32nd General Conference in Paris. The Convention responded to global concerns that living cultural traditions, oral practices, performing arts, social customs, rituals, knowledge systems, and craftsmanship were increasingly threatened by globalisation, social change, and limited resources.

The Convention placed communities, especially indigenous communities, groups, and individual practitioners, at the heart of safeguarding efforts, acknowledging their vital role in creating, maintaining, and transmitting cultural heritage. It underscored the interdependence between tangible and intangible heritage, the need for global cooperation, and the importance of raising awareness among younger generations. With a shared global commitment to protecting humanity’s living heritage, the Convention formally established mechanisms for international cooperation, support, and recognition, laying the foundation for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage lists and the subsequent work of the Intergovernmental Committee.

The purposes of this Convention include safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage; ensuring respect for the intangible cultural heritage of the communities, groups, and individuals concerned; raising awareness at the local, national, and international levels of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage; ensuring mutual appreciation thereof; and providing for global cooperation and assistance.