On June 15, 2026, the Workshop on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage for Gabon, co-organized by the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (CRIHAP), Gabon’s Ministry of Youth, Sports, Cultural Outreach and the Arts, responsible for Community Life, and the UNESCO Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Africa (CRESPIAF), officially opened in Libreville, Gabon.

Zhou Ping, Chinese Ambassador to Gabon; Paul Ulrich Kessany, Minister of Youth, Sports, Cultural Outreach and the Arts, responsible for Community Life of Gabon; Zhang Jing, Director-General of CRIHAP; and Patricio Zambrano Restrepo, UNESCO Representative in Gabon, addressed the opening ceremony. Professor Slimane Hachi, Director-General of CRESPIAF, delivered video remarks.

Ambassador Zhou Ping stated that intangible cultural heritage (ICH) represents the living history of all peoples. President Xi Jinping has proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, charting the course for the harmonious coexistence, exchanges, and mutual learning among different civilizations. He noted that this training workshop is a concrete action in line with the "Year of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges," and wished it a complete success.

Minister Kessany expressed his gratitude to CRIHAP for organizing the workshop in Gabon, emphasizing that ICH is the soul of a nation and a vivid expression of collective identity, historical memory, and cultural diversity. He pointed out that the inscription of Mvet Oyeng on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is a strong testament to the richness, diversity, and potential of Gabon’s living heritage. He added that the training would further strengthen the capacities of practitioners, researchers, and community representatives in the identification, documentation, inventorying, safeguarding, and promotion of ICH.

Director-General Zhang Jing noted that the Gabon workshop coincides with the 100th training session organized by CRIHAP since its establishment. It is also CRIHAP’s first specialized training workshop for a country outside the Asia-Pacific region in line with UNESCO’s Priority Africa strategy. Taking place during the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, the training aims to foster exchange, encourage mutual learning among civilizations, and support the global effort in safeguarding ICH.

The five-day workshop is co-facilitated by UNESCO facilitators Sidi Traore and Angoué Claudine-Augée. Centered on the theme of “Community-Based Inventorying,” the curriculum systematically covers sessions including the core concepts of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the basics of inventorying, community participation and ethical principles, field survey methods and technical practice, field visits, and final reporting, summary, and evaluation. Through a combination of theoretical lectures, case studies, simulation exercises, and practical fieldwork, participants will systematically acquire core skills in the identification, documentation, and inventorying of ICH.

Director-General Zhang Jing delivered a lecture on China’s experiences and achievements in ICH safeguarding and answered questions from the participants on the same day.

The workshop was successfully held with support from the Chinese Embassy in Gabon and the Gabon branch of China First Highway Engineering. CRIHAP looks forward to taking this training as an opportunity to promote exchanges in ICH safeguarding between the Asia-Pacific and African regions, deepen dialogue among civilizations, and contribute further to the global cause of ICH safeguarding.