The International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, or CRIHAP, held the Inaugural Meeting of the Governing Board in Beijing on Feb 22, 2012, through which China will further promote international exchange and cooperation of intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific region.

Zhao Shaohua and Wang Wenzhang, vice ministers of the Ministry of Culture, and Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, attended the meeting.

Zhao Shaohua expressed her congratulations for the opening of the center in her address. She said the inaugurating of the center showed China’s continuous pursuit on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development practices in the Asia-Pacific Region. The center will organize international training activities to help enhance cultural diversity and promote safeguarding ICH capability of the region.

Bandarin introduced the serious condition of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage across the world and UNESCO’s important measures for building capacity for safeguarding intangible heritage. “China is very interested in Intangible Heritage,” Bandarin said. “It’s the first to support it, and has the largest items on the list. It’s only natural to have a center in China.” He gave high regards to the center and hopes it can develop into an international institution that serve countries in the region.

During the inauguration, several agenda items were approved, such as the Agenda for the 1st session of the Governing Board, Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board, CRIHAP Medium-term Development Strategy, CRIHAP Work Plan and Budget for 2012, Logo of CRIHAP and the directives for its use.

The center sets its primary goal on the promotion of Covention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The set of rules was adopted by UNESCO in 2003, and has so far signed 142 countries. But membership does not translate into full commitment. Yang Zhi believes that capacity building is the first step to saving endangered items.

“Some of the implementation even goes against the spirit of the convention,” said Yang Zhi, Director of Secretariat of the CRIHAP. “That means capacity building is an urgent task.”

Under the auspices of UNESCO, the International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region will serve as a platform for cultural heritage protection.

During the two-day meeting, the International Information Session on ICH Safeguarding was also held. Experts from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and UNESCO discussed and exchanged views on safeguarding intangible heritage.

The next session of Governing Board meeting is due to be held in February 2013.