On 13 June 2024, H.E. Ms Adriana Ortiz, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Paraguay and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, Mr Ernesto Ottone R., signed the host country agreement between UNESCO and the Republic of Paraguay for the organization of the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2024.

The ceremony took place at UNESCO Headquarters, in the presence of the Chairperson of the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee, H.E. Ms Nancy Ovelar de Gorostiaga, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Paraguay to UNESCO, and Ms Fumiko Ohinata, Secretary of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The signature of the agreement formalizes the cooperation and respective responsibilities of the two parties for the organization of the session, which will be held from 2 to 7 December 2024 in Asunción, Paraguay.