During its last electronic consultation, the Bureau of the Committee approved a change in venue of the twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Committee. Initially scheduled to take place in Seoul, the Committee will now be held on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

The Bureau also approved two new International Assistance requests to support safeguarding efforts in Uganda and Colombia.

Colombia will receive US$25,000 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund to help safeguard and compile knowledge associated with the stewardship of sacred sites of the jaguar shamans of Yuruparí settled along the Pirá Paraná River of the Colombian Amazon. Prioritizing youth involvement, the safeguarding plan is centred on a special methodology of local research conducted by communities belonging to the Association of Captains and Traditional Indigenous Authorities of the Pirá Paraná, with support from the Gaia Amazon Foundation and the Colombian Ministry of Culture. Guided by traditional knowledge-holders, community members will lead activities to safeguard their cultural heritage, the results of which will then be digitalized, edited and mapped out.

The Fund will also provide US$97,582 to promote intangible cultural heritage education in institutions of higher learning in Uganda. The project is coordinated by the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda, a non-governmental organization accredited to act in an advisory capacity to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and is geared at raising awareness of the importance of intangible cultural heritage among management and academic staff at four universities (Gulu, Kampala, Nkozi and Fort Portal). Conducted in partnership with the Uganda National Commission for UNESCO and a Steering Committee composed of representatives of these four universities, including students, the project is expected to have a wide broad impact on the wider community.