The second meeting of the Bureau of the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage took place on 4 June 2024. The meting was chaired by H.E. Ms Nancy Ovelar de Gorostiaga, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Paraguay to UNESCO.

Three requests for International Assistance up to US$100,00, and two requests for preparatory assistance were examined and approved, representing a total of nearly US$320,000 granted by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund.

· The project for Angola will contribute to the safeguarding of performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events, namely semba - symbol of national identity in Angola. The planned activities will address issues related to economic dimensions of living heritage safeguarding with a focus on creativity.

· Another project approved for Bangladesh documents and celebrates heritage festivals – which represents important rituals practiced in eight administrative divisions in promotion of the diversity of minority cultures.

· The multinational request submitted by Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama entitled ‘Exchange of experiences and cultural dialogues for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendant peoples through the preparation of inventories in the Central American Integration System (SICA) region and Cuba’ is the second phase of a project approved in October 2022. It demonstrates the continued commitment of the nine requesting States to promote the multi-country integration process in Central America, while highlighting the importance of the living heritage of Afro-descendant communities with reference to the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024). The involvement of the SICA, the Category 2 Centre CRESPIAL and ONECA (the Central America Black Organization) is important for promoting the multi-country integration process in Central America.

· The Bureau also approved two requests for preparatory assistance to support the preparation of the nomination files of ‘Social practices and cultural elements of Toare Gulf mask festival’ in Papua New Guinea and ‘Imbalu ceremonies’ in Uganda, for possible inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

For the first time Angola, Bangladesh, and Papua New Guinea have benefited from International Assistance. The geographical scope of the International Assistance mechanism has been extended to include countries that have not yet previously received assistance, aligning with UNESCO’s priorities.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund provides dedicated resources for States Parties to implement a wide range of programmes, projects and activities dedicated to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, such as community-based inventorying, awareness-raising or specific activities such as safeguarding living heritage in emergencies.

The Bureau members of the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee are: Germany, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Angola and Mauritania.