Worldwide
Intangible cultural heritage globally
Over the past decades, there has been an increase in the international appreciation of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as the source of cultural diversity and the foundation for sustainable development as well as raising awareness of this heritage and its importance for people, especially the younger generation. It is globally recognized that parts of ICH are at risk, therefore, means of ensuring their vitality and continuity must be put into action. Aiming to achieve this, UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Convention) on October of 2003 which entered into force on April 20, 2006. Lithuanian ratified the Convention on December 8, 2004. In 2008, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage approved the Operational Directives for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and have supplemented them in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. In the same year, the Draft Overall Results Framework regarding the implementation of the Convention in terms of impact, outcomes, main indicators and evaluation were adopted.
In 1972, UNESCO adopted the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage which focused more on tangible cultural heritage and its significance; later on, with the increase in focus on the forms of intangible cultural expressions and their documentation, the Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore, an important international document, was adopted in 1989. In 1993, the system of the living cultural heritage areas, which outgrew into the Proclamations of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and in 2005 it was rearranged into the three respective current UNESCO’s lists.
The Convention regulates 3 lists that the States Parties can apply to in accordance to the selection criteria and the Convention’s definition of ICH; the said lists are the following: the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, and the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices. The lists contribute to raising awareness of the importance of the heritage and particular problems regarding their state, they promote intercultural dialogue, the creation and implementation of safeguarding means.
The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity aims to ensure the greater awareness of ICH and its importance for the development of communities and societies as well as to promote intercultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity.
The ICH elements that, despite the efforts of concerned communities, groups, individuals or states, are at risk, are inscribed in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The list is also applicable for the ICH that needs urgent measures to keep it alive.
Register of Good Safeguarding Practices includes national, subregional and regional ICH safeguarding programs, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and the objectives of the Convention.
Until 2019, 508 elements from 122 countries were inscribed in the lists: from our neighbours Latvia’s Suiti cultural space (2018), Estonian Smoke sauna tradition (2014), Krakow nativity scenes (2018) to Argentinian tango (2009), Indian yoga (2016), Japanese kabuki theatre (2009), Turkish whistled language at risk of diminishing (2009), etc. In 2008 cross-crafting and its symbolism and Baltic song and dance celebrations were inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (cross-crafting since 2001 and song and dance celebrations since 2003 were in the List of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity). In 2010, one more Lithuanian heritage element – Lithuanian polyphonic songs sutartinės – was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Until 2019, the Convention has been ratified by 178 countries (Lithuanian did it in 2004) which have committed to the implementation of the Convention at both national and international levels, to ensure the vitality, revitalization, promotion, transmission and as equally important awareness of the heritage of other cultures as well as international cooperation regarding this area. The convention requires the States Parties to encourage communities to safeguard their ICH and to transmit it to the future generations. One of the most effective means of uniting communities and the society for the said purpose is the development of ICH inventories.
In the spirit of the Convention, ICH is perceived as living and sense of identity-giving cultural, artistic, knowledge and practical phenomena of the humanity constantly recreated by the communities, yet in touch with traditions, contributing to the realization of sustainable development; if similar traditions are practiced by several communities – all practitioners are all equal; also, there is no hierarchy in terms of the heritage itself – the elements carry their significance with regard to their custodians. The custodians as well have the final word in the States Parties’ management of ICH elements in terms of promotion, their nomination for UNESCO’s lists and even attribution to the communities. In 2015, Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has laid out Ethical Principles for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, taking into account the Convention and existing international normative instruments protecting human and indigenous communities’ rights.