Second session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (16-19 June 2008, Paris)

The General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will hold its second session from 16 to 19 June at UNESCO Headquarters.

It will examine the results of the work accomplished by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage during four sessions over the past two years (Algeria, 2006, China, 2007, Japan, 2007 and Bulgaria, 2008).

Subjects to be examined include the draft operational directives guiding the implementation of the Convention, i.e. the selection criteria and procedures for inscription on the two Lists foreseen by the Convention - the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - as well as the directives concerning the selection of those projects, programmes and activities which best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention.

The Assembly will also examine the criteria which will govern the granting of international assistance, how the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund will be used, and set the contributions of States Parties to the Fund.

The Assembly will elect a President, Vice-Presidents and a Rapporteur who will remain in office until the third ordinary session.

At the end of the session, the Assembly will renew half of the Intergovernmental Committee by electing 12 new members for a 4-year term.

Ninety-five States* have ratified, approved or accepted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to date. Ninety-three of them will be able to take part in the General Assembly as States Parties, having ratified the Convention before 20 March 2008.


* Albania, Algeria, Arab Republic of Syria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.



The opening ceremony will be open to the press, 16 June, 10 a.m., Room II. Accreditation mandatory.

Accreditation : Isabelle Le Fournis, i.le-fournis@unesco.org