A Global Capacity Building Workshop for the Training of Trainers on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Safeguarding was held online on December 8, 9, 14 and 15.

The event was co-organized by the UNESCO Headquarters and the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (CRIHAP) for the first time for all new members of UNESCO’s Global Network of Facilitators in ICH safeguarding from around the world. Tim Curtis, chief of UNESCO’s Living Heritage Entity and Secretary of the 2003 Convention; Susanne Schnuttgen, head of UNESCO’s Capacity Building and Heritage Policy Unit, Living Heritage Entity; and CRIHAP’s director-general Liang Bin attended the event and delivered speeches.

At the opening session, Tim Curtis said that the Global Capacity Building Strategy is a focus for UNESCO under the framework of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the training of trainers is crucial for the smooth implementation of the strategy. UNESCO has long been actively inviting local ICH safeguarding experts from different regions of the world to join its team of facilitators to help strengthen its global training capabilities, spread the latest information about the Convention and cater for the growing new needs from the states parties to the Convention.