Kallawaya © Yoshi Shimizu -UNESCO

Indigenous peoples hold a rich diversity of living heritage, including practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that continue to be relevant and provide meaning in everyday life. The practice and transmission of this heritage contributes to the ongoing vitality, strength and wellbeing of communities.

On the International Day for the Worlds Indigenous Peoples’, August 9, the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage celebrates the living heritage of indigenous peoples with the launch of a new brochure on Living Heritage and Indigenous Peoples. As Mr Elifuraha Laltaika said at a recent side event on the 2003 Convention during the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues this year: “The importance of the 2003 Convention cannot be overemphasized because it provides the spaces for indigenous peoples to exercise their agency in terms of fostering their identity and continuity through transmission.”

The brochure is available to download online in English, French and Spanish.

For more information on 2003 Convention and indigenous peoples, visit our dedicated webpage .