VI.2 Inclusive economic development

       183. States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge that the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage contributes to inclusive economic development, and to recognize in this context that sustainable development depends upon stable, equitable and inclusive economic growth based on sustainable patterns of production and consumption and requires reduction of poverty and inequalities, productive and decent employment as well as ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, renewable and modern energy for all and improving progressively resource efficiency in consumption and production.

       184. States Parties shall endeavour to take full advantage of intangible cultural heritage as a powerful force for inclusive and equitable economic development, encompassing a diversity of productive activities with both monetary and non-monetary value, and contributing in particular to strengthening local economies. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to respect the nature of that heritage and the specific circumstances of the communities, groups or individuals concerned, particularly their choice of collective or individual management of their heritage while providing them with the necessary conditions for the practice of their creative expressions and promoting fair trade and ethical economic relations.

VI.2.1 Income generation and sustainable livelihoods

       185. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution of intangible cultural heritage to generating income and sustaining livelihoods for communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at identifying and assessing opportunities that intangible cultural heritage offers for generating income and sustaining livelihoods for communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to its role in supplementing other forms of income;

       (b) adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:

      (i) promote opportunities for communities, groups and individuals to generate income and sustain their livelihood so that the sustainable practice, transmission and safeguarding of their intangible cultural heritage can be ensured;

      (ii) ensure that the communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of income generated as a result of their own intangible cultural heritage and that they are not dispossessed of it, in particular in order to generate income for others.

VI.2.2 Productive employment and decent work

       186. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution of intangible cultural heritage to productive employment and decent work for communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at identifying and assessing opportunities that intangible cultural heritage offers for productive employment and decent work for the communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to its adaptability to family and household circumstances and relation to other forms of employment;

       (b) adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, including tax incentives, to:

      (i) promote productive employment and decent work for communities, groups and individuals in the practice and transmission of their intangible cultural heritage while extending social security protection and benefits to them;

      (ii) ensure that the communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of work opportunities involving their own intangible cultural heritage and that they are not dispossessed of it, in particular in order to create employment for others.

VI.2.3 Impact of tourism on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and vice versa

       187. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure that any activities related to tourism, whether undertaken by the States or by public or private bodies, demonstrate all due respect to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage present in their territories and to the rights, aspirations and wishes of the communities, groups and individuals concerned therewith. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) assess, both in general and in specific terms, the potential of intangible cultural heritage for sustainable tourism and the impact of tourism on the intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development of the communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to anticipating potential impact before activities are initiated;

       (b) adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:

      (i) ensure that communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of any tourism associated with their own intangible cultural heritage while promoting their lead role in managing such tourism;

      (ii) ensure that the viability, social functions and cultural meanings of that heritage are in no way diminished or threatened by such tourism;

      (iii) guide the interventions of those involved in the tourism industry and the behaviour of those who participate in it as tourists.

VI.3 Environmental sustainability

       188. States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge the contribution of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to environmental sustainability and to recognize that environmental sustainability requires sustainably managed natural resources and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, which in turn could gain from improved scientific understanding and knowledge-sharing about climate change, natural hazards, the environmental and natural resource limits and that strengthening resilience among vulnerable populations in the face of climate change and natural disasters is essential.

VI.3.1 Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe

       189. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure recognition of, respect for, sharing of and enhancement of the knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that contribute to environmental sustainability recognizing their capacity to evolve, harnessing their potential role in the protection of biodiversity and in the sustainable management of natural resources. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) recognize communities, groups and individuals as the bearers of knowledge about nature and the universe and as essential actors in sustaining the environment;

       (b) foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding systems of biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and sustainable resource use, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, and demonstrating their effectiveness while promoting international cooperation for the identification and sharing of good practices;

       (c) adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:

      (i) promote access to and transmission of traditional knowledge concerning nature and the universe while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of it;

      (ii) conserve and protect those natural spaces whose existence is necessary for expressing the intangible cultural heritage.

VI.3.2 Environmental impacts in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage

       190. States Parties shall endeavour to recognize the potential and actual environmental impacts of intangible cultural heritage practices and safeguarding activities, with particular attention to the possible consequences of their intensification. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding such impacts;

       (b) adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to encourage environmentally friendly practices and to mitigate any possible harmful impacts.

VI.3.3 Community-based resilience to natural disasters and climate change

       191. States Parties shall endeavour to ensure recognition of, respect for and enhancement of knowledge and practices concerning geoscience, particularly the climate, and harness their potential to contribute to the reduction of risk, recovery from natural disasters, particularly through the strengthening of social cohesion and mitigation of climate change impacts. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) recognize communities, groups and individuals as the bearers of traditional knowledge about geoscience, particularly the climate;

       (b) foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding and demonstrating the effectiveness of knowledge of disaster risk reduction, disaster recovery, climate adaptation and climate change mitigation, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, while enhancing the capacities of communities, groups and individuals to face challenges related to climate change that existing knowledge may not address;

       (c) adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:

      (i) promote access to and transmission of knowledge concerning the earth and the climate, that is recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of it;

      (ii) fully integrate communities, groups and individuals who are bearers of such knowledge into systems and programmes of disaster risk reduction, disaster recovery and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

VI.4 Intangible cultural heritage and peace

       192. States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge the contribution of safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are based on respect for human rights (including the right to development) and free from fear and violence. Sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security; and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development.

       193. States Parties should endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance those practices, representations and expressions of intangible cultural heritage that have peace-making and peace-building at their core, bring communities, groups and individuals together and ensure exchange, dialogue and understanding among them. States Parties shall further endeavour to fully realize the contribution that safeguarding activities make to the construction of peace.

VI.4.1 Social cohesion and equity

       194. States Parties should endeavour to recognize and promote the contribution of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to social cohesion, overcoming all forms of discrimination and strengthening the social fabric of communities and groups in an inclusive way. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to give particular attention to those practices, expressions and knowledge that help communities, groups and individuals to transcend and address differences of gender, colour, ethnicity, origin, class and locality and to those that are broadly inclusive of all sectors and strata of society, including indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities and members of marginalized groups.

VI.4.2 Preventing and resolving disputes

       195. States Parties should endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution that intangible cultural heritage can make towards the prevention of disputes and peaceful conflict resolution. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at demonstrating expressions, practices and representations of intangible cultural heritage as contributors to dispute prevention and peaceful conflict resolution;

       (b) promote the adoption of legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:

      (i) support such expressions, practices and representations;

      (ii) integrate them into public programmes and policies;

      (iii) reduce their vulnerability during and in the aftermath of conflicts;

      (iv) consider them as complements to other legal and administrative mechanisms of dispute prevention and peaceful conflict resolution.

VI.4.3 Restoring peace and security

       196. States Parties should endeavour to take full advantage of the potential role of intangible cultural heritage in the restoration of peace, reconciliation between parties, re-establishment of safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding how intangible cultural heritage can contribute to restoring peace, reconciling parties, re-establishing safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals;

       (b) promote legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to integrate such intangible cultural heritage into public programmes and policies aimed at the restoration of peace, reconciliation between parties, re-establishment of safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals.

VI.4.4 Achieving lasting peace

       197. States Parties should endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution that safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of communities, groups and individuals makes to the construction of lasting peace. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:

       (a) ensure respect for the intangible cultural heritage of indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities, and members of vulnerable groups in their safeguarding efforts;

       (b) take full advantage of the contribution of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage to democratic governance and human rights by ensuring the widest possible participation of communities, groups and individuals;

       (c) promote the peace-building potential of safeguarding efforts that involve intercultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity.