0 com ith/15/10. Com/Decisions Windhoek, December 2015 Original: English/French



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DECISION 10.COM 10.b.7

The Committee



  1. Takes note that Azerbaijan has nominated Copper craftsmanship of Lahij (No. 00675) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Copper craftsmanship of Lahij is the traditional practice of making and using copperware concentrated in the Lahij community in the Caucasus. The copper-smelting master coordinates the entire process and is accompanied by an apprentice who learns the necessary techniques while helping the master. The coppersmith-hammerer pumps the air into the ovens and hammers the smelted copper into thin plates. A craftsperson then polishes the hammered copper plates and decorates the ready copperware with engravings. This final stage of the process is said to be particularly important as the designs used often have an environmental focus, reflecting the bearer’s traditional knowledge and cultural values. The master is responsible for selling the copperware in the workshops and remunerating the work of the other craftspeople involved. The tradition is transmitted within families from father to son. Numerous families in Azerbaijan come to buy copperware in Lahij and use it in their daily lives believing it improves the health benefits of food. For artisans, the tradition represents a major source of living and provides a strong sense of identity and community pride. Copper craftsmanship also reinforces family relationships within the Lahij community and is perceived as a clear marker of Lahij identity.

  1. Decides that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria:

R.1: Transmitted through apprenticeship primarily within Tat-speaking families, the copper craftsmanship provides local communities with a sense of belonging and continuity; besides securing a source of living, the element helps intergenerational and inter-ethnic communication, fosters respect for the linkage between intangible and material values, and promotes a balanced approach to the use of renewable natural resources, thus strengthening sustainable development;

R.2: In addition to raising awareness about regional intangible cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship in general, the inscription of the element bears witness to a dialogue between communities, as well as to creativity within the framework of traditional stylistic patterns that themselves attest to the region’s cultural diversity;

R.3: The community of practitioners and a non-governmental organization devised a comprehensive set of concrete safeguarding measures pertaining to systematization of community efforts, transmission, research, media promotion, sustainable recycling of source material, and follow-up of expected results; their implementation is fully supported by the government through funding and provision of requisite human resources;

R.4: The nomination was initiated and carried out in close collaboration between a number of tradition bearers and a working group consisting of experts, several prominent craftspeople, representatives of a local non-governmental organization and the municipality; all concerned parties provided their free, prior and informed consent to the nomination;

R.5: With the wide support, approval and engagement of the local community, the copper craftsmanship of Lahij was included in 2014 in the Azerbaijani Inventory (Register) of Intangible Cultural Heritage which is maintained by the Documentation and Inventory Board.


  1. Inscribes Copper craftsmanship of Lahij on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;

  2. Commends the State Party for a well-elaborated file that can serve as a good example regarding all inscription criteria, as well as for the corresponding attention paid to appended video;

  3. Invites the State Party to deliberate in collaboration with all parties concerned whether and how a possible spread of the element outside of primarily the families of Tat speaking craftspeople would affect these families and the community of Lahij as a whole.

DECISION 10.COM 10.b.8

The Committee



  1. Takes note that Bangladesh has nominated Jatra traditional performing arts (No. 01070) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Jatra is a traditional form of open-air folk theatre performed throughout rural Bangladesh during the winter months. Performances of popular plays combine mythological heroes and plots from religious epics with folk song and dance. Jatra features at religious and social festivals where it attracts a wide audience irrespective of caste or creed. Its vitality is closely linked to its grass-roots popularity and as such it constitutes an important marker of rural cultural identity. Jatra also conveys socio political messages, which often serve to motivate people towards improving social welfare. Furthermore, the practice has developed a capacity to establish effective mass communication with the rural community through the form of entertainment. An array of practitioners, including government, local communities, public and private groups and individuals have actively led efforts for the popularization and transmission of Jatra. The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organizes events including seminars, workshops, competitions and stage performances that contribute to the intergenerational transmission of Jatra. The owner of each company usually acts as the director coordinating a troupe, which consists of actors, artists, musicians and technicians. The learning process starts at home under the supervision of parents or seniors, although master practitioners conduct classes for interested performers.

  1. Decides that the information included in the file is not sufficient to allow the Committee to determine whether the following criteria are satisfied:

R.1: The nomination fails to explain the scope of Jatra traditional performing arts, the characteristics of their communities, bearers and practitioners, the relationship between transmission at home and through programmes offered by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the function of Jatra for various segments of society, or the nature and level of threats it faces; inappropriate terms such as ‘glorious’, ‘the most ancient’, ‘essence’ or ‘original’ and ideas such as to regain the glory and dignity of Jatra in its original form raise concerns about the motivation underlying the nomination, which is also characterized by an overall lack of clarity;

R.2: Given that the element is not clearly defined, its inscription on the Representative List would not contribute to enhancing the visibility of intangible cultural heritage in general and awareness of its significance; the desired outcomes of inscription are directed solely to Jatra and, moreover, inscription is seen as a mechanism to accelerate awareness of the risk of the element’s extinction;

R.3: The description lacks clarity and coherence while indicating a conception of Jatra as a medium to transmit messages in a distinctly top-down manner, as well as the intention to protect its ‘original’, ‘moral’, ‘healthy’ and/or ‘dignified’ form; the promotion of Jatra as an industry has remained insufficiently explained; evidence of the submitting State’s commitment to support the safeguarding is also lacking;

R.4: It is unclear which communities were actively involved in the nomination process and whether Jatra bearers and practitioners participated beyond their limited share in providing information and consent; no information is given regarding respect for customary practices governing access to specific aspects of the element;

R.5: The nomination does not provide a clear explanation of the inclusion of the element in an inventory drawn up in conformity with Articles 11 and 12 of the Convention; it is not clear how the extract provided reflects such an inventory.


  1. Decides to refer the nomination of Jatra traditional performing arts to the State Party for additional information and invites it to resubmit the nomination to the Committee for examination during a following cycle;

  2. Reminds the State Party, if it wishes to resubmit the nomination, that the protection of ‘original forms’ and similar concepts underlying the current nomination are not in conformity with the principles and objectives of the Convention.

DECISION 10.COM 10.b.9

The Committee



  1. Takes note that Bosnia and Herzegovina has nominated Konjic woodcarving (No. 01102) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Woodcarving is an artistic craft with a long tradition in the area of Konjic. Workshops produce heirloom furniture, home décor and other products using production techniques noted for their hand-carved motifs and visual identity. The carving process begins by drawing the patterns on a piece of wood followed by a chipping process which involves cutting the wood surface along the drawn lines by hitting special chisels with a hammer. The wood is then decorated with typical designs ranging from particular geometric patterns to stylistic floral motifs, known collectively as the Bosnian-Konjic style. These woodcarvings have become an important part of the cultural identity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, woodcarving workshops produce three main types of products: reproductions of hand-carved furniture such as stools, armoires, tables, desks and wall panels; smaller decorative objects, such as serving trays and wooden boxes; and furniture that blends traditional motifs with other design forms. The bearers are skilled craftspeople who work in woodcarving workshops and those making smaller woodcarving objects at home. Transmission of knowledge and skills occurs through formal training in workshops or informally among household members. Direct and indirect employment opportunities created by woodcarving have created sustainable opportunities for many young people allowing them to stay in Konjic.

  1. Decides that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria:

R.1: Concentrated in several woodcarving workshops, and transmitted primarily in families and through on-the-job training, Konjic woodcarving is an engine of sustainable development, a marker of traditional interior design and a symbol of identity and continuity of the local community;

R.2: Inscription of the element could contribute to inter-ethnic dialogue, intergenerational cooperation, gender equality, visibility of traditional craftsmanship in today’s world and its potential place, and respect for the creativity and diversity that it embodies, thus raising awareness of the significance of intangible cultural heritage at large;

R.4: The nomination was initiated by a governmental body and enthusiastically endorsed by the community concerned; its representatives and stakeholders – notably owners of family-run workshops, non-governmental organizations, local and State officials – provided their free, prior and informed consent to the nomination;

R.5: The inclusion of the element since 2012 in a preliminary open List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is kept in the Federation Ministry of Culture and Sports, is demonstrated by the provided documentation.



  1. Further decides that the information included in the file is not sufficient to allow the Committee to determine whether the following criterion is satisfied:

R.3: By focusing on the products of woodcarving, employing a top-down and conservationist approach, and relying throughout on notions of ‘original’ and ‘authentic’ form, the nomination insufficiently demonstrates the suitability and adequacy of the proposed safeguarding measures for enhancing the viability of the element, including the measures put forward to mitigate unintended consequences of inscription; in parallel, the involvement of bearers and various segments of local community in their planning and implementation is also insufficiently elaborated.

  1. Decides to refer the nomination of Konjic woodcarving to the State Party for further information and invites it to resubmit the nomination to the Committee for examination during a following cycle;

  2. Commends the State Party for proposing an element that highlights an innovative utilization of traditional woodcarving and hence demonstrates the creativity embedded in intangible cultural heritage;

  3. Reminds the State Party, if it wishes to resubmit the nomination, that support of the element’s economic value and use for employment should not take precedence over traditional skills and knowledge as constituting components of intangible cultural heritage;

  4. Further reminds the State Party, should it wish to resubmit the nomination, that terms such as ‘authentic’, ‘original’, ‘unique’, ‘extraordinary’, ‘true’ and ‘universal’ are not consistent with the spirit of the Convention.

DECISION 10.COM 10.b.10

The Committee



  1. Takes note that Bulgaria has nominated Surova folk feast in Pernik region (No. 00968) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

The Surova folk feast in Pernik region takes place each year on 13 and 14 January to celebrate the New Year according to the old calendar. The core of the celebration is a popular masquerade ritual performed in villages throughout the region. On the first night, Survakari masquerade groups, consisting of men, women and children, don specially prepared masks and costumes and head towards the village centre where they light fires, and tease and play with the watching audience. Some participants adopt special roles, such as the leader, the newly-weds, the priest and the bear. Early the next morning, they gather and walk throughout the village visiting houses, where they ritually marry young couples while the bear ‘mauls’ people for good health. Hosts await their arrival with a ritual meal and gifts. After the folk feast, the Survakari distribute the gifts, often donating collected funds to orphans and poor people. The masquerade experience appeals to young people and raises their self-esteem as continuers of the tradition. Whole families engage in collecting materials for the masks and the other attributes during that entire year, with adults teaching young people and children how to make the distinctive masks and costumes.

  1. Decides that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria:

R.1: The Surova folk feast has been transmitted through generations, providing its participants a sense of identity and continuity while promoting social cohesion among local people and contributing to mutual respect among communities;

R.2: Inscription of the element could enhance the visibility of the intangible cultural heritage more broadly and awareness of its significance, particularly in places where similar masquerade traditions are practised, thereby contributing to the promotion of respect for cultural diversity and human creativity; in addition, it could contribute to the enhancement of dialogue across generations while promoting social solidarity with those less advantaged;

R.3: The nomination presented an elaborated set of safeguarding measures designed as a result of collaboration between communities and groups of the Surova folk feast, local municipalities and public institutions, which have proved their efficiency; they have been applied systematically, successfully, and without interruption by communities in the region for many decades;

R.4: The nomination was prepared with the participation of communities, groups and cultural institutions concerned, and a considerable number of leaders of Survakari groups and secretaries of community centres provided their free, prior and informed consent to the nomination;

R.5: The nominated element was included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bulgaria, compiled with a regular updating mechanism and with full participation of the communities concerned, as required by Articles 11 and 12 of the Convention.


  1. Inscribes Surova folk feast in Pernik region on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;

  2. Encourages the State Party to pay particular attention to ensuring that safeguarding measures respond adequately to the increased visibility of the element and public attention that will follow the inscription on the Representative List, as well as to the processes of de-contextualization and processes of depopulation in the country that might impact the viability of the element in the future.

DECISION 10.COM 10.b.11

The Committee



  1. Takes note that Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova and Romania have nominated Cultural practices associated to the first of March (No. 01093) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Cultural practices associated with the first of March celebrate the beginning of spring. Each year, women in Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Romania twist red and white woollen threads together to make a charm called a mártenitsa, martinki or mărţişor. The charm is offered to family members, friends, colleagues or teachers, who wear it around the neck, wrist, ankle or belly, or pinned to their clothes. It can also be tied around cattle horns or attached to doors or gateposts to provide protection in the coming year. The charm is worn from early March until the wearer sees the first tree in blossom. The thread is then left on a branch, under a stone, or thrown onto a grass bed or into a well. In urban environments, the red-and-white thread has undergone significant changes with the addition of trinkets made of metal, wood, glass or textiles. Offering first of March charms is a way to express feelings and good wishes, and assert social solidarity. It is also a way to carry on those traditions that form part of local and national identities. The colour white suggests purity, while red stands for vitality (health, beauty or love). In rural areas, young girls learn how to make the charm from older women.

  1. Decides that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criterion:

R.1: The practice of marking the beginning of spring is widespread in all four submitting States, incorporating a range of differences between rural and urban areas as regards ways of transmission, categories of makers, contexts of enactment and economic utilization; the coherence of the element rests in its social functions and meanings such as the expression of love, wishes for good health and prosperity, and observance of old traditions.

  1. Further decides that the information included in the file is not sufficient to allow the Committee to determine whether the following criteria are satisfied:

R.2: Although the multinational character of the nomination in itself testifies to a dialogue among communities and greater visibility of the element and awareness of its significance, the nomination does not clearly describe the contribution of inscription to the visibility of intangible cultural heritage in general; in addition, arguments offered by one of the submitting States in its inventory extract, namely that the element is endangered by contaminating influences from neighbouring people and that the customs of the neighbouring people should not be allowed to interfere, do not contribute to the encouragement of dialogue;

R.3: The proposed safeguarding measures apparently contradict the spirit of the Convention by foregrounding the notion of authenticity, which manifests itself in an emphasis put on scholarly documentation and research, a top-down approach and a lack of evidence on community involvement in the elaboration of safeguarding measures; possible unintended consequences of the inscription and measures responsive to them are not addressed; furthermore, one of the submitting States is omitted in the description of past and current efforts to safeguard the element;

R.4: In the case of two submitting States, the nomination does not explain what makes selected communities representative for the practice of the element and consequently for the nomination file; in the letters of consent from two other submitting States there is no evidence that those who consented to the nomination were aware of its multinational character;

R.5: Although all submitting States maintain an inventory of intangible cultural heritage and provided evidence on the element’s inclusion therein, the information on the conformity with Articles 11 and 12 of the Convention is, depending on the submitting State in question, mostly either lacking, incomplete or ambiguous.



  1. Decides to refer the nomination of Cultural practices associated to the first of March to the States Parties for additional information and invites them to resubmit the nomination to the Committee for examination during a following cycle;

  2. Commends the States Parties for proposing a multinational file that testifies the dynamics between urban and rural environments;

  3. Invites the States Parties, if they wish to resubmit the nomination, to avoid inappropriate language such as ‘authentic’ and ‘genuine’ and to take care that inventorying at the national level is not guided by such concepts;

  4. Suggests that the States Parties, if they wish to resubmit the nomination, improve the video by paying more attention to the social and cultural context of the element.

DECISION 10.COM 10.b.12

The Committee



  1. Takes note that Cambodia, Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Viet Nam have nominated Tugging rituals and games (No. 01080) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Tugging rituals and games in the rice-farming cultures of East Asia and Southeast Asia are enacted among communities to ensure abundant harvests and prosperity. They promote social solidarity, provide entertainment and mark the start of a new agricultural cycle. Many tugging rituals and games also have profound religious significance. Most variations include two teams, each of which pulls one end of a rope attempting to tug it from the other. The intentionally uncompetitive nature of the event removes the emphasis on winning or losing, affirming that these traditions are performed to promote the well-being of the community, and reminding members of the importance of cooperation. Many tugging games bear the traces of agricultural rituals, symbolizing the strength of natural forces, such as the sun and rain while also incorporating mythological elements or purification rites. Tugging rituals and games are often organized in front of a village’s communal house or shrine, preceded by commemorative rites to local protective deities. Village elders play active roles in leading and organizing younger people in playing the game and holding accompanying rituals. Tugging rituals and games also serve to strengthen unity and solidarity and sense of belonging and identity among community members.

  1. Decides that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria:

R.1: Tugging rituals and games, involving almost all members of the communities concerned, are an effective sociocultural mechanism that mitigates any existing inequality; varying with particular circumstances in each submitting State, some knowledge and skills are transmitted orally through direct observation and participation, while some are acquired through training centres, schools and museums;

R.2: By revealing the diversity of practices, as well as its adaptation to the ecological conditions in each community, inscription of the element could help to elucidate the important role of intangible cultural heritage in sustainable development, as well as the value of constant re-creation based on human creativity; the nomination itself, as a collaborative project between four States Parties, gives evidence of the capacity of intangible cultural heritage to encourage intercultural dialogue;

R.3: The safeguarding measures were elaborated with utmost care through distinctly participatory planning, deliberation and decision-making, and thus encompass a variety of concrete activities responsive to the specific situation of the element in each submitting State and to the communities concerned; they include measures responding to possible unintended results of the inscription such as commodification;

R.4: The nomination was prepared with the full participation of concerned communities, groups, individuals, safeguarding associations, related experts and other relevant stakeholders, varying with the situation in each of the submitting States; a broad range of attestations testify to their free, prior and informed consent to the nomination;

R.5: Tugging rituals and games have been included in inventories of the four submitting States: Cambodia, Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Viet Nam (since 2013 in Cambodia, 2013 in Philippines, 1969 in the Republic of Korea and 2013 in Viet Nam).


  1. Inscribes Tugging rituals and games on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;

  2. Requests the States Parties to pay particular attention to updating inventories;

  3. Congratulates the States Parties for employing an approach that is attentive to commonalities and specificities of the element in each of the States Parties, as reflected in a meticulous elaboration of safeguarding measures appropriate to each specific situation on the ground, as well as in the systematic involvement of all parties concerned in the conception and elaboration of the nomination file.


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