Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport. and Culture, Honorable Tumiso McDonald Rakgare, and UNESCO Assistant for Director-General Mr Ernesto Ottone, were among the participants who attended the opening ceremony of the eighteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage taking place in Kasane, Republic of Botswana.

The ceremony marks the start of the session, which will last until Saturday 9 December. To this date, around 900 participants have registered to attend the Committee. H.E. Mr Mustaq Moorad, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Botswana to UNESCO, will chair this annual gathering. Each morning session will start at 9.30am and end at 12.30pm (Kasane time). In the afternoon, the session will start at 2.30pm and end at 5.30pm (Kasane time).