From 4 to 6 July 2023, States Parties to the 2003 Convention and observers are gathering in UNESCO Headquarters to participate in the Open-ended intergovernmental working group in the framework of the reflection on a broader implementation of Article 18 of the 2003 Convention.

Article 18 of the 2003 Convention is about the selection and sharing of programmes, projects and activities for living heritage safeguarding that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention. Above all, Article 18 is implemented through the international listing system of the Convention, namely the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices but this Register has been under-utilized, compared to the Representative List and the Urgent Safeguarding List.

During the global reflection on the listing mechanisms of the 2003 Convention (2018-2022), the sixteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee in 2021 (Decision 16.COM 14) decided to launch a separate reflection to explore the full potential of Article 18 of the Convention.

Going beyond issues raised during the previous global reflection concerning the Register of Good safeguarding Practices, the working group would pay attention to the implementation of Article 18 of the Convention beyond the Register by exploring how to share good safeguarding experiences of living heritage more broadly and how to bring to the fore the voices of communities and their aspirations for safeguarding their living heritage.

The recommendations of the working group are foreseen to be presented to the eighteenth session of the Committee (4 to 9 December 2023, Kasane, Republic of Botswana).

This reflection is generously supported by Sweden.

For more details, visit the dedicated webpage:

Open-ended intergovernmental working group in the framework of the reflection on a broader implementation of Article 18 of the Convention - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO