ICHCAP

A workshop for capacity-building on periodic reporting under the UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as the 2003 Convention) was held in South Korea. Sponsored by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Republic of Korea, the workshop took place from February 26th to March 1st at the National Intangible Heritage Center located in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do. Co-organized by UNESCO and International Information and Networking Centre For Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region Under the auspices of UNESCO (hereinafter referred to as ICHCAP), the workshop had almost 100 participants from more than 30 countries in the region along with the UNESCO representatives from the Secretariat and field offices, and ten facilitators.

Recently, UNESCO has developed an overall results framework to evaluate compliance with the Convention, requiring member states to submit periodic reports based on this framework. Additionally, there has been a shift in the submission method from individual submissions every six years from the date of accession to collective submissions by continent, with this year marking the submission period for the Asia-Pacific region. The workshop is focused on enhancing the capacity of national focal points to understand and practice periodic reporting by adapting to these new systems.

Throughout the five-day workshop, participants had the opportunity to gain an understanding of periodic report writing from various perspectives, including an understanding of changes in the result-based reporting mechanism. They also had time to understand the integration of intangible heritage safeguarding activities on a broader scale. Additionally, it was evaluated by the participants as one of the rare opportunities for various countries in the Asia-Pacific region to come together all at once, promising active networking and cooperation within the region in the future.