I.6 Inscription on an extended or reduced basis

        16.1 The inscription of an element on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity can be extended to other communities, groups and, if applicable, individuals at the national and/or international level upon the request of the State(s) Party(ies) in whose territory(ies) the element is present.

        16.2 State(s) Party(ies) are encouraged to announce their intentions to join in existing inscribed elements on an extended basis, in a timely manner, through the webpage of the Convention, using the dedicated online form.

        16.3 At the international level, newly joining State(s) Party(ies) is/are required to demonstrate that its/their inclusion in the extension satisfies all of the required criteria for inscription. Concerned communities, groups and, if applicable, individuals that gave their consent for the submission of the original nomination and subsequent extensions must agree with the proposed extension and their participation in ongoing, newly proposed or updated safeguarding measures with the newly joining communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals concerned and authorities.

        16.4 At the national level, the State Party is required to demonstrate that the extension satisfies the required criteria for inscription, taking into account the criteria already satisfied through the original nomination. Concerned communities, groups and, if applicable, individuals that gave their consent for the submission of the original nomination and subsequent extensions must agree with the proposed extension and their participation in ongoing, newly proposed or updated safeguarding measures with the newly joining communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals concerned and authorities.

        17.1 The inscription of an element on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity can be reduced at the national and/or international level if the State(s) Party(ies) in whose territory(ies) the element is present so request(s).

        17.2 State(s) Party(ies) is/are required to demonstrate that the communities, groups and, if applicable, individuals who are proposed to be removed from the inscribed element, give evidence of their free, prior and informed consent to the reduction of the element.

       18. The State(s) Party(ies) concerned submit(s) a new nomination showing that the nomination, as extended or reduced, satisfies all of the required criteria for inscription. Such a nomination shall be submitted according to the established procedures and deadlines for nominations.

       19. In the event that the Committee decides to inscribe the element on the basis of the new nomination file, the new inscription shall replace the original inscription. In the event that the Committee, on the basis of the new nomination file, decides not to inscribe the element, the original inscription shall remain intact.

I.7 Submission of files

     20.1 Form ICH-01 is used for the nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and includes an option for simultaneously requesting International Assistance; this form is also used for the nominations to the same List on an extended or reduced basis at the national and/or international level.

      Form ICH-02 is used for the nominations to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; this form is also used for the nominations to the same list on an extended or reduced basis at the national and/or international level.

      Form ICH-03 is used for the proposals of programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention.

      21. States Parties may request preparatory assistance, in consultation with communities, groups and where appropriate, individuals concerned, for the elaboration of:

      (a) nomination files to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding,

      (b) proposals of programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention,

      (c) requests for the transfer of an element from one List to another, and

      (d) nomination files on an extended or reduced basis of already inscribed elements.

      22. Requests for all preparatory assistance shall be submitted by using Form ICH-05. Requests for International Assistance shall be submitted using Form ICH-04, except for requests submitted simultaneously with nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or in the context of the request to transfer an element from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

      23. All the forms are available at https://ich.unesco.org or on request from the Secretariat. The files shall include only the information requested in the forms.

      24. Submitting States Parties shall involve the communities, groups and, where applicable, individuals concerned in the preparation of their files.

      25. A State Party may withdraw a file it has submitted at any time prior to examination by the Committee, without prejudice to its right to benefit from International Assistance under the Convention.38 . Operational Directives

I.8 Evaluation of files

      26. Evaluation includes assessment of the conformity of the nomination, proposal or International Assistance request with the required criteria.

      27. The evaluation of nominations for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, of proposed programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention, and of International Assistance requests submitted simultaneously with nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or in the context of the request to transfer an element from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, shall be accomplished by a consultative body of the Committee established in accordance with Article 8.3 of the Convention, to be known as the ‘Evaluation Body’. The Evaluation Body will make recommendations to the Committee for its decision. The Evaluation Body shall be composed of twelve members appointed by the Committee: six experts qualified in the various fields of the intangible cultural heritage representatives of States Parties non-Members of the Committee and six accredited non-governmental organizations, taking into consideration equitable geographical representation and various domains of intangible cultural heritage.

       28. The duration of office of a member of the Evaluation Body shall not exceed four years. Every year, the Committee shall renew one quarter of the members of the Evaluation Body. At least three months prior to the opening of the session of the Committee, the Secretariat shall inform the States Parties within each Electoral Group with a vacant seat to be filled. Up to three candidatures shall be sent to the Secretariat by the Chairperson of the Electoral Group concerned at least six weeks prior to the opening of the session. Once appointed by the Committee, the members of the Evaluation Body shall act impartially in the interests of all the States Parties and the Convention.

       29. For the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, each evaluation shall include assessment of the viability of the element and of the feasibility and sufficiency of the safeguarding plan. It shall also include assessment of the risk of its disappearing, due, inter alia, to the lack of means for safeguarding and protecting it, or to processes of globalization and social or environmental transformation.

       30. The Evaluation Body shall submit to the Committee an evaluation report that includes a recommendation: - to inscribe or not to inscribe the nominated element (including the transfer from one List to another, the extension or the reduction of an already inscribed element) on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, or to refer the nomination to the submitting State(s) for additional information; - to select or not to select the proposed programme, project or activity, or to refer the proposal to the submitting State(s) for additional information; or

      - to approve or not to approve the International Assistance request submitted in the context of the request to transfer an element from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, or to refer the request to the submitting State(s) for additional information;

      - to approve or not to approve the International Assistance request submitted simultaneously with a nomination to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, or to refer the request to the submitting State(s) for additional information; or

      - to maintain or to remove the inscribed element from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in case of ‘enhanced follow-up’.40 . Operational Directives

       31. The Secretariat will transmit to the Committee an overview of all nominations, proposals of programmes, projects and activities and International Assistance requests including summaries and evaluation reports. The files and evaluation reports will also be made available to States Parties for their consultation.

I.9 Nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to be processed on an extremely urgent basis

       32. In case of extreme urgency, and in conformity with Criterion U.6, the Bureau of the Committee may invite the State(s) Party(ies) concerned to submit a nomination to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding on an accelerated schedule. The Committee, in consultation with the State(s) Party(ies) concerned, shall examine the nomination as quickly as possible after its submission, in accordance with a procedure to be established by the Bureau of the Committee on a case-by-case basis. Cases of extreme urgency may be brought to the attention of the Bureau of the Committee by the State(s) Party(ies) on whose territory(ies) the element is located, by any other State Party, by the community concerned or by an advisory organization. The State(s) Party(ies) concerned shall be informed in a timely manner.

I.10 Examination of files by the Committee

       33. The Committee determines two years beforehand, in accordance with the available resources and its capacity, the number of files that can be treated in the course of the two following cycles which in total is set at no more than sixty. This ceiling shall apply to the set of files comprising nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and proposals of programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention.

     34. The Committee shall endeavour to examine to the extent possible at least one file per submitting State, within the limit of this overall ceiling, giving priority to:

      (0) files from States which had no file treated during the preceding cycle;

      (i) files from States having no elements inscribed, best safeguarding practices selected, and nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;

      (ii) multi-national files; and

      (iii) files from States with the fewest elements inscribed and best safeguarding practices selected, in comparison with other submitting States during the same cycle.

      In case they submit several files during the same cycle, submitting States shall indicate the order of priority in which they wish their files to be examined and are invited to give priority to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

       35. After examination, the Committee decides:

      - whether or not an element shall be inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity or whether the nomination shall be referred to the submitting State(s) for additional information;

      - whether or not a programme, project or activity shall be selected as a best safeguarding practice, or whether the proposal shall be referred to the submitting State(s) for additional information; or

      - whether or not an International Assistance request submitted simultaneously with a nomination to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or in the context of the request to transfer an element from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding shall be approved, or whether the request shall be referred to the submitting State(s) for additional information.

       36. Nominations, proposals or requests that the Committee decides not to inscribe, select, or approve, or to refer to the submitting State(s) for additional information, may be resubmitted to the Committee for examination during a following cycle, after having been updated and supplemented.

       37. A decision by the Committee to refer a nomination, proposal or request to the submitting State(s) for additional information does not imply or guarantee that the element will be inscribed, the proposal selected or the request approved in the future. Any subsequent resubmission must fully demonstrate that the criteria for inscription, selection or approval are satisfied.