The “Training of Trainers - Asia and the Pacific Chapter of the Global Network of Facilitators of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage” wrapped up in Chengdu on October 17, 2023. This program was a collaborative effort between the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (CRIHAP), UNESCO’s Living Heritage Entity and UNESCO’s Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia. Additionally, it received support from the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast-TV, and Tourism. Over 30 participants, including newly-appointed trainers from countries such as China, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines, as well as representatives from UNESCO’s field offices in the Asia-Pacific region, actively participated in the training.

Zhang Jing, Deputy Director-General of CRIHAP, and Duong Bich Hanh, Head of Cultural Affairs at UNESCO’s Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, were present at the closing ceremony and delivered speeches. Zhang Jing expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration with the trainers and expressed CRIHAP’s willingness to expand collaboration models and scopes, with the objective of enhancing the capacity for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in the region. Duong Bich Hanh warmly congratulated the newly certified trainers on their official “entry into the workforce” and emphasized the pivotal role of the global network of facilitators in the implementation of UNESCO’s global capacity-building strategy. She expressed her hope for increased collaboration and communication among the trainers, between trainers and institutions like CRIHAP, and among various institutions, all dedicated to the cause of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.