© 2015 Fixabay / Beit Hanoun

Twenty-one international experts gathered on 21 and 22 May at UNESCO Headquarters at the request of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (see Decision 13.COM 11) to explore operational modalities of action for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in situation of emergencies.

The dual dimension of emergencies and living heritage was underlined during the event - on one hand the threats on the viability of living heritage in such situations and on the other hand, the role of living heritage as a resource for preparedness, recovery, resilience and reconciliation. Experts highlighted the complexity and breadth of emergencies and their impact on living heritage and stressed that saving people is the first step towards safeguarding living heritage as the latter is inseparable from its bearers. In this regard, cooperation with humanitarian actors and other relevant stakeholders is fundamental.