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

DECISION 10.COM 10.c.2

The Committee,

1. 
   Recalling Chapter V of the Convention and Chapter I of the Operational Directives,
   
2. 
   Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM 10.c as well as the international assistance request 00888,
   
3. 
   Takes note that Kenya has requested International Assistance for Safeguarding of Enkipaata, Eunoto and Olng’esherr, three male rites of passage of the Maasai community:
   

The three male rites of the Maasai community represent stages in the preparation of boys for adulthood – a process called moranism that involves the transmission of indigenous knowledge, including Maasai rituals, legends, traditions and life skills. Enkipaata is the name for the induction ceremony, Eunoto heralds the shaving of initiates before their seclusion in the bush for training, and Olng’esherr is the meat eating ceremony marking the end of moranism and the beginning of eldership. The rites involve the whole community and feature songs, folktales, proverbs, riddles and events, thus providing the Maasai community with a sense of cultural identity and continuity. However, traditional modes of transmission have greatly weakened since the beginning of the 1980s as a result of reduced frequency and participation, with an increasing number of boys remaining at home and occupied with formal education. To safeguard the practice, the project plans to hold workshops to promote community based inventorying of Maasai intangible cultural heritage, organize community meetings between elders and youth to empower them with knowledge and skills relevant for enactment and preservation of the tradition, mentor youth on its importance, undertake a mapping exercise to protect the associated natural spaces and places, and research and document the practice for future transmission.

4. 
   Further takes note that this assistance concerns the support for a project carried out at national level aimed at the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, and that it takes the form of the granting of donation in line with Article 21 (g) of the Convention;
   
5. 
   Also takes note that Kenya requested an allocation of US$144,430 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of the project;
   
6. 
   Decides that, from the information provided in file 00888, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance in paragraph 12 of the Operational Directives and the additional considerations in paragraph 10:
   

Criterion A.1: Apart from short-term educational meetings of elders and youth, the request fails to demonstrate an active participation of Maasai community in either preparation, implementation or evaluation and follow-up of the project; the central role is assigned to a governmental department and a national non-governmental organization dedicated to biodiversity conservation and advocacy of Maasai culture, without explaining the relationship of that organization with the community and whether and how it might act on its behalf;

Criterion A.2: The budget shows discrepancies between objectives, activities, timetable and parties involved in the project; in particular, it reveals a top-down and top-heavy organization of the project, gaps between planned activities and expected results, lack of information on actors granted to carry out specific tasks, and the separation of the Maasai into nine unconnected sections;

Criterion A.3: Oriented in principle to the safeguarding of three male rites of passage, the project oscillates between building capacities for safeguarding and those for inventorying without providing clarification of their link; in addition, the description of the three rites lacks detail, thus not allowing readers to comprehend the importance of spaces and places that are planned to be identified and then put under community protection; the timetable reveals that the three-year duration of the project pertains only to the stakeholders, while the community is split up along its nine sections, so that for each of them the project lasts for just a year; the project moreover does not facilitate communication among the various sections;

Criterion A.4: Given the lack of clarity and consistency between its main objectives, expected results, planned activities, timetable and involved partners, as well as the lack of evidence of active participation of the Maasai community in its design and conduct, the proposed project does not adequately demonstrate how it could contribute to the sustainability of the three male rites; in addition, community-based educational meetings between elders and youth can hardly ensure effective follow-up since they encompass only one meeting held in each of the nine sections either once a year (according to the budget) or once in total during the three-year project (according to the timetable); the overall impression is of a project with low potential in respect to sustainability;

Criterion A.5: The State Party is financially committed to subvene the participation of four officers in all meetings and workshops and in the identification of places and spaces, while the community’s contribution includes meetings intended to educate the youth on the importance of three male rites;

Criterion A.6: The request needs to provide greater explanation (rather than assertion) of how the project could help to build the capacity of the community in either inventorying its intangible cultural heritage or safeguarding the element; a four-day workshop into community-based inventorying is important yet insufficiently described and of limited reach, while the transfer of knowledge related to the element relies on the community’s own human, technical and financial resources and is restricted to each of its separate sections; the strengthening of the stakeholders’ capacities cannot be assessed for they either operate primarily in domains other than the intangible cultural heritage or are not clearly identified;

Criterion A.7: Kenya received International Assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund twice, once to safeguard ‘Traditions and practices associated to the Kayas in the Sacred Forests of the Mijikenda’ (2011-ongoing; US$126,580), and once to prepare a nomination file concerning ‘Rituals and practices associated with the Kit Mikayi shrine of the Luo community in Kenya’ (2013-2015; US$17,668); in addition, the country implemented three UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust projects: ‘Safeguarding traditional foodways of two communities in Kenya’ (2009-2013), ‘Photographic documentation of intangible heritage in Kenya’ (2010-2011), and ‘Safeguarding traditional Somali performing arts’ (2008-2009); the work stipulated by the contracts related to these projects was carried out in compliance with UNESCO’s regulations and all projects have been completed. An exception is the project concerning the Kayas, which has been significantly delayed; the Secretariat is in contact with the State Party in order to find an administrative solution to overcome the problem;

Consideration 10(a): The project is local in scope and involves local and national implementing partners;

Consideration 10(b): The request does not address whether the project may have a multiplier effect or could stimulate financial and technical contributions from other sources; more information would be needed to explain possible multiplier effects emerging from the partnership between this project and another dedicated to the culture and reproductive health of the Maasai.

7. 
   Acknowledges the need to safeguard three male rites of passage of the Maasai community and appreciates the commitment of the State Party;
   
8. 
   Invites the submitting State to resubmit a request, at the earliest possible opportunity, revised in line with the recommendations of the Evaluation Body and the findings set out above;
   
9. 
   Delegates its authority to the Bureau to take any appropriate decision on such revised international assistance request received from Kenya for Safeguarding of Enkipaata, Eunoto and Olng’esherr, three male rites of passage of the Maasai community.
   

DECISION 10.COM 11

The Committee,

1. 
   Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/11,
   
2. 
   Recalling Decision 8.COM 7.a.5 and Chapter I.12 of the Operational Directives,
   
3. 
   Takes note of Guatemala’s request to modify the name of the element currently inscribed in 2013 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding under the name ‘Paach ceremony’;
   
4. 
   Approves the change of name as proposed by the Guatemalan authorities, decides that the name of the element becomes Nan Pa’ch ceremony in English and
   La cérémonie de la Nan Pa’ch in French and requests the Secretariat to incorporate this change in all its communications with respect to that element.
   

DECISION 10.COM 12

The Committee,

1. 
   Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/12,
   
2. 
   Recalling Article 8.3 of the Convention, paragraphs 27 and 28 of the Operational Directives and Rule 20 of its Rules of Procedure,
   
3. 
   Establishes a consultative body to be known as the ‘Evaluation Body’ for the evaluation in 2016 of nominations for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, of proposed programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention and of international assistance requests greater than US$25,000, and adopts its terms of reference as annexed to this Decision;
   
4. 
   Appoints the following individual experts and accredited non-governmental organizations as members of the Evaluation Body for 2016:
   

Expert representatives of States Parties non-Members of the Committee

1. 
   EG I: Amélia Maria de Melo Frazão Moreira (Portugal)
   
2. 
   EG II: Saša Srećković (Serbia)
   
3. 
   EG III: Víctor Rago (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
   
4. 
   EG IV: Masami Iwasaki (Japan)
   
5. 
   EG V (a): John Moogi Omare (Kenya)
   
6. 
   EG V (b): Ahmed Skounti (Morocco)
   

Accredited non-governmental organizations

1. 
   EG I: Norsk Håndverksinstitutt / Norwegian Crafts Institute
   
2. 
   EG II: Czech Ethnographical Society
   
3. 
   EG III: Associação dos Amigos da Arte Popular Brasileira - Museu Casa do Pontal / Association of Friends of Brazilian Folk Art - Casa do Pontal Museum
   
4. 
   EG IV: 中国民俗学会 / China Folklore Society (CFS)
   
5. 
   EG V (a): The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU)
   
6. 
   EG V (b): The Syria Trust for Development.
   

Annex: Terms of Reference of the Evaluation Body for the 2016 cycle

The Evaluation Body
1.	shall be composed of twelve members appointed by the Committee: six experts qualified in the various fields of intangible cultural heritage representative of States Parties non-Members of the Committee and six accredited non-governmental organizations, taking into consideration equitable geographical representation and various domains of intangible cultural heritage;
2.	shall elect its Chairperson, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur;
3.	shall hold private meetings in accordance with Rule 19 of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee;
4.	shall be responsible for the evaluation of nominations for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, of proposed programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention and of international assistance requests greater than US$25,000, in conformity with the Operational Directives for the implementation of the Convention. It shall, in particular, include in its evaluation:
	a.	an assessment of the conformity of nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding with the inscription criteria as provided in Chapter I.1 of the Operational Directives, including an assessment of the viability of the element and the feasibility and sufficiency of the safeguarding plan, and an assessment of the risks of it disappearing, as provided in paragraph 29 of the Operational Directives;
	b.	an assessment of the conformity of nominations to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity with the inscription criteria as provided in in Chapter I.2 of the Operational Directives;
	c.	an assessment of the conformity of proposed programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention with the selection criteria as provided in Chapter I.3 of the Operational Directives;
	d.	an assessment of the conformity of international assistance requests greater than US$25,000 with the selection criteria as provided in Chapter I.4 of the Operational Directives;
	e.	a recommendation to the Committee to inscribe or not to inscribe the nominated element on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding; to inscribe, not to inscribe or refer the nominated element on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; to select or not to select the proposed programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention; or to approve or not to approve the international assistance request greater than US$25,000;
5.	shall provide the Committee with an overview of all files and a report of its evaluation;
6.	shall cease to exist following submission to the 11th session of the Committee of the report on its evaluation of files to be examined by the Committee in 2016.
Once appointed by the Committee, the members of the Evaluation Body shall act impartially in the interests of all States Parties and the Convention.

DECISION 10.COM 13

The Committee,

1. 
   Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/13,
   
2. 
   Recalling paragraphs 33 and 34 of the Operational Directives and its Decision 9.COM 12,
   
3. 
   Taking note that the number of files being treated for the 2016 cycle is 51, representing 62 submitting States,
   
4. 
   Considering that its capacities to examine files during a session are still limited, as are the capacities and human resources of the Secretariat,
   
5. 
   Reaffirms that those States Parties which submitted files that could not be treated in the 2016 cycle will see their files examined with priority in the 2017 cycle, following the principle of one file per submitting State during the two-year period (Decision 9.COM 12);
   
6. 
   Decides that in the course of the 2017 and 2018 cycles, the number of nominations to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, proposals of programmes, projects and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention and international assistance requests greater than US$25,000 that can be treated is determined to be 50 per cycle;
   
7. 
   Further decides that at least one file per submitting State should be processed during the two-year period 2017-2018, within the agreed number of nominations per biennium, in conformity with paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives;
   
8. 
   Further decides that the Secretariat may exercise some flexibility, if that would permit greater equity among submitting States with equal priority under paragraph 34 of the Operational Directives;
   
9. 
   Invites States Parties to take the present decision into account when submitting files for the 2017 and 2018 cycle;
   
10. 
    Encourages States Parties to retrieve at the Secretariat the files submitted four years ago or more that have not been examined by the Committee, due to the limited number of files that can be treated in the course of a cycle, so that they can be updated for a subsequent cycle, particularly in light of the technical requirements adopted by the Committee and any other relevant considerations;
    
11. 
    Requests the Secretariat to report to it on the number of files submitted for the 2017 cycle, its experience applying the Operational Directives and the present decision at its eleventh session.
    

DECISION 10.COM 14.a

The Committee,

1. 
   Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/14.a,
   
2. 
   Recalling Decisions 8.COM 13.a and 9.COM 13.b,
   
3. 
   Reaffirming the important role of intangible cultural heritage as a driver, enabler and guarantee of sustainable development, in particular in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
   
4. 
   Thanks the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO for generously hosting and co-financing the expert meeting on intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development at the national level, which took place from 29 September to 1 October 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey;
   
5. 
   Decides to endorse the new draft chapter of Operational Directives for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development at the national level, in view of submitting it for discussion and approval to the sixth session of the General Assembly in June 2016 in accordance with Article 7 of the Convention;
   
6. 
   Underlines that the provisions of this chapter should be interpreted in line with the UN Charter, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
   
7. 
   Recommends to the General Assembly to approve the proposed Chapter VI of the Operational Directives on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development at the national level, as annexed to this decision;
   
8. 
   Encourages States Parties to fully integrate the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in legislation, policies and development strategies both within and outside the cultural sector;
   
9. 
   Requests the Secretariat, once the General Assembly will have approved inclusion of the proposed Chapter VI of the Operational Directives, to update the curriculum of the Convention's capacity-building programme accordingly.
   
   ANNEX
   

Draft Operational Directives on

‘Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage

and sustainable development at the national level’

Chapter VI SAFEGUARDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

170. 
     With a view to effectively implementing the Convention, States Parties shall endeavour, by all appropriate means, to recognize the importance and strengthen the role of intangible cultural heritage as a driver and guarantee of sustainable development, as well as fully integrate the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage into their development plans, policies and programmes at all levels. While recognizing the interdependence between the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, sustainable development and peace and security, States Parties shall strive to maintain a balance between the three dimensions of sustainable development (the economic, social and environmental) in their safeguarding efforts and shall to this end facilitate cooperation with relevant experts, cultural brokers and mediators through a participatory approach. States Parties shall acknowledge the dynamic nature of intangible cultural heritage in both urban and rural contexts and shall direct their safeguarding efforts solely on such intangible cultural heritage that is compatible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development.
     
171. 
     Insofar as their development plans, policies and programmes involve intangible cultural heritage or may potentially affect its viability, States Parties shall endeavour to:
     
     1. 
        ensure the widest possible participation of communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals that create, maintain and transmit such heritage, and involve them actively in such plans, policies and programmes;
        
     2. 
        ensure that those communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries, both in moral and in material terms, of any such plans, policies and programmes;
        
     3. 
        ensure that such plans, policies and programmes respect ethical considerations and do not negatively affect the viability of the intangible cultural heritage concerned or de-contextualize or denaturalize that heritage;
        
     4. 
        facilitate cooperation with sustainable development experts and cultural brokers for the appropriate integration of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage into plans, policies and programmes, both within and outside the cultural sector.
        
172. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to take full cognizance of the potential and actual impacts of all development plans and programmes on intangible cultural heritage, particularly in the context of environmental, social, economic and cultural impact assessment processes.
     
173. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a strategic resource to enable sustainable development. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of issues linked to protection of various rights of the communities, groups and individuals, connected to the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, in particular through the application of intellectual property rights, privacy rights and any other appropriate forms of legal protection, to ensure that the rights of the communities, groups and individuals that create, bear and transmit their intangible cultural heritage are duly protected when raising awareness about their heritage or engaging in commercial activities.
        
174. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure that their safeguarding plans and programmes are fully inclusive of all sectors and strata of society, including indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities and members of vulnerable groups, in conformity with Article 11 of the Convention.
     
175. 
     States Parties are encouraged to foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities or groups themselves and by non-governmental organizations, aimed at understanding the contributions of intangible cultural heritage to sustainable development and its importance as a resource for dealing with development problems and at demonstrating its value with clear evidence, including appropriate indicators if possible.
     
176. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure that inscriptions of intangible cultural heritage on the Convention’s lists as provided in Articles 16 and 17 of the Convention and the selection of best safeguarding practices as provided in Article 18 of the Convention are used to advance the Convention’s goals of safeguarding and sustainable development and are not misused to the detriment of the intangible cultural heritage and communities, groups or individuals concerned, in particular for short-term economic gain.
     

VI.1 Inclusive social development

170. 
     States Parties are encouraged to recognize that inclusive social development cannot be achieved without sustainable food security, quality health care, quality education for all, gender equality and access to safe water and sanitation, and that these goals must be underpinned by inclusive governance and the freedom for people to choose their own value systems.
     

VI.1.1 Food security

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure the recognition of, respect for and enhancement of those farming, fishing, hunting, pastoral, food-gathering, food preparation and food preservation knowledge and practices, including their related rituals and beliefs, that contribute to food security and adequate nutrition and that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities or groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of those knowledge and practices, demonstrating their efficacy, identifying and promoting their contributions to maintaining agro-biodiversity, providing food security and strengthening their resilience to climate change;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, including codes or other tools of ethics, to promote and/or regulate access to farming, fishing, hunting, pastoral and food gathering, food preparation and food preservation knowledge and practices, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, as well as equitable sharing of the benefits they generate, and ensure the transmission of such knowledge and practices;
        
     3. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to recognize and respect the customary rights of communities and groups to those land, sea and forest ecosystems necessary for their farming, fishing, pastoral and food-gathering knowledge and practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage.
        

VI.1.2 Health care

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure the recognition of, respect for and enhancement of those health practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that contribute to well-being, including their related knowledge, genetic resources, practices, expressions, rituals and beliefs, and to harness their potential to contribute to achieving quality health care for all. To that end, they are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of health care practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, demonstrating their functions and efficacy and identifying their contributions to meeting health care needs;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, in consultation with knowledge holders, healers and practitioners, to promote access to healing knowledge and raw materials, participation in healing practices, and transmission of such knowledge and practices that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of them;
        
     3. 
        enhance collaboration and complementarity among the diversity of health care practices and systems.
        

VI.1.3 Quality education

170. 
     Within their respective educational systems and policies, States Parties shall endeavour, by all appropriate means, to ensure recognition of, respect for and enhancement of the intangible cultural heritage in society, emphasizing its role in transmitting life skills, in particular through specific educational and training programmes within the communities and groups concerned and through non-formal means of transmitting knowledge. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
        
        1. 
           ensure that educational systems promote respect for one’s self, one’s community or group, mutual respect for others and do not in any way alienate people from their intangible cultural heritage, characterize their communities or groups as not participating in contemporary life or harm in any way their image;
           
        2. 
           ensure that intangible cultural heritage is integrated as fully as possible into the content of educational programmes of all relevant disciplines, both as a contribution in its own right and as a means of explaining or demonstrating other subjects at the curricular, cross-curricular and extra-curricular levels;
           
        3. 
           recognize the importance, along with innovative safeguarding methods, of modes and methods of transmitting intangible cultural heritage that are themselves recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, and seek to harness their potential within formal and non-formal education systems;
           
     2. 
        enhance collaboration and complementarity among the diversity of educational practices and systems;
        
     3. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of pedagogical methods that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and assessing their efficacy and suitability for integration into other educational contexts;
        
     4. 
        promote education for the protection of biodiversity, natural spaces and places of memory whose existence is necessary for expressing the intangible cultural heritage.
        

VI.1.4 Gender equality

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to foster the contributions of intangible cultural heritage and its safeguarding to greater gender equality and to eliminating gender-based discrimination while recognizing that communities and groups pass on their values, norms and expectations related to gender through intangible cultural heritage and it is, therefore, a privileged context in which group and community members’ gender identities are shaped. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        take advantage of the potential of intangible cultural heritage and of its safeguarding to create common spaces for dialogue on how best to achieve gender equality, taking into account the diverse perspectives of all stakeholders;
        
     2. 
        promote the important role that intangible cultural heritage and its safeguarding can play in building mutual respect among communities and groups whose members may not share the same conceptions of gender;
        
     3. 
        assist communities and groups in examining expressions of their intangible heritage with regard to their impact and potential contribution to enhancing gender equality and to take the results of this examination into account in decisions to safeguard, practice, transmit and promote at the international level these expressions;
        
     4. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of gender roles within particular expressions of intangible cultural heritage;
        
     5. 
        ensure gender equality in the planning, management and implementation of safeguarding measures, at all levels and in all contexts, in order to take full advantage of the diverse perspectives of all members of society.
        

VI.1.5 Access to clean and safe water and sustainable water use

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure the viability of water management systems that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that promote equitable access to safe drinking water and sustainable water use, notably in agriculture and other subsistence activities. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding the diversity of those water management systems that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and identifying their contributions to meeting environmental and water-related development needs, as well as how to strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to identify, enhance and promote such systems in order to respond to water needs and climate change challenges at the local, national and international levels.
        

VI.2 Inclusive economic development

170. 
     States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge that the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage contributes to inclusive economic development, and to recognize that sustainable development depends upon stable, equitable and inclusive economic growth based on sustainable patterns of production and consumption and requires reduction of poverty and inequalities, productive and decent employment, low-carbon, as well as resource-efficient economic growth and welfare protection.
     
171. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to take full advantage of intangible cultural heritage as a powerful force for inclusive and equitable economic development, encompassing a diversity of productive activities with both monetary and non-monetary value, and contributing in particular to strengthening local economies. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to respect the nature of that heritage and the specific circumstances of the communities, groups or individuals concerned, particularly their choice of collective or individual management of their heritage while providing them with the necessary conditions for the practice of their creative expressions and promoting fair trade and ethical economic relations.
     

VI.2.1 Income generation and sustainable livelihoods

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution of intangible cultural heritage to generating income and sustaining livelihoods for communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at identifying and assessing opportunities that intangible cultural heritage offers for generating income and sustaining livelihoods for communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to its role in supplementing other forms of income;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
        
        1. 
           promote opportunities for communities, groups and individuals to generate income and sustain their livelihood through the sustainable practice, transmission and safeguarding of their intangible cultural heritage;
           
        2. 
           ensure that the communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of income generated as a result of their own intangible cultural heritage and that they are not dispossessed of it, in particular in order to generate income for others.
           

VI.2.2 Productive employment and decent work

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution of intangible cultural heritage to productive employment and decent work for communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at identifying and assessing opportunities that intangible cultural heritage offers for productive employment and decent work for the communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to its adaptability to family and household circumstances and relation to other forms of employment;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, including tax incentives, to:
        
        1. 
           promote productive employment and decent work for communities, groups and individuals in the practice and transmission of their intangible cultural heritage while extending social security protection and benefits to them;
           
        2. 
           ensure that the communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of work opportunities involving their own intangible cultural heritage and that they are not dispossessed of it, in particular in order to create employment for others.
           

VI.2.3 Impact of tourism on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and vice versa

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure that any activities related to tourism, whether undertaken by the States or by public or private bodies, demonstrate all due respect to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage present in their territories and to the rights, aspirations and wishes of the communities, groups and individuals concerned therewith. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        assess, both in general and in specific terms, the potential of intangible cultural heritage for sustainable tourism and the impact of tourism on the intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development of the communities, groups and individuals concerned, with particular attention to anticipating potential impact before activities are initiated;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
        
        1. 
           ensure that communities, groups and individuals concerned are the primary beneficiaries of any tourism associated with their own intangible cultural heritage while promoting their lead role in managing such tourism;
           
        2. 
           ensure that the viability, social functions and cultural meanings of that heritage are in no way diminished or threatened by such tourism;
           
        3. 
           guide the interventions of those involved in the tourism industry and the behaviour of those who participate in it as tourists.
           

VI.3 Environmental sustainability

170. 
     States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge the contribution of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to environmental sustainability and recognize that environmental sustainability requires ensuring a stable climate, sustainably managed natural resources and protecting biodiversity, which in turn depend on improved scientific understanding and knowledge-sharing about climate change, natural hazards, the environmental and natural resource limits and that strengthening resilience among vulnerable populations in the face of climate change and natural disasters is essential.
     

VI.3.1 Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure recognition of, respect for, sharing of and enhancement of the knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that contribute to environmental sustainability recognizing their capacity to evolve, harnessing their potential role in the protection of biodiversity and in the sustainable management of natural resources. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        recognize communities, groups and individuals as the bearers of knowledge about nature and the universe and as essential actors in sustaining the environment;
        
     2. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding systems of biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and sustainable resource use, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, and demonstrating their effectiveness while promoting international cooperation for the identification and sharing of good practices;
        
     3. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
        
        1. 
           promote access to and transmission of traditional knowledge concerning nature and the universe while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of it;
           
        2. 
           conserve and protect those natural spaces whose existence is necessary for expressing the intangible cultural heritage.
           

VI.3.2 Environmental impacts in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize the potential and actual environmental impacts of intangible cultural heritage practices and safeguarding activities, with particular attention to the possible consequences of their intensification. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding such impacts;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to encourage environmentally friendly practices and to mitigate any possible harmful impacts.
        

VI.3.3 Community-based resilience to natural disasters and climate change

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to ensure recognition of, respect for and enhancement of knowledge and practices concerning geoscience, particularly the climate, and harness their potential to contribute to the reduction of risk, recovery from natural disasters, particularly through the strengthening of social cohesion and mitigation of climate change impacts. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        recognize communities, groups and individuals as the bearers of traditional knowledge about geoscience, particularly the climate;
        
     2. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding and demonstrating the effectiveness of knowledge of disaster risk reduction, disaster recovery, climate adaptation and climate change mitigation, that are recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, while enhancing the capacities of communities, groups and individuals to face challenges related to climate change that existing knowledge may not address;
        
     3. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
        
        1. 
           promote access to and transmission of knowledge concerning the earth and the climate, that is recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their intangible cultural heritage, while respecting customary practices governing access to specific aspects of it;
           
        2. 
           fully integrate communities, groups and individuals who are bearers of such knowledge into systems and programmes of disaster risk reduction, disaster recovery and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
           

VI.4 Peace and security

170. 
     States Parties are encouraged to acknowledge the contribution of safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to peace and security and recognize that peace and security – including freedom from conflict, discrimination and all forms of violence – are prerequisites and catalysts for sustainable development and require respect for human rights, inclusive and equitable social development, effective systems of justice, inclusive political processes and appropriate systems of conflict prevention and resolution.
     
171. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance those practices, representations and expressions of intangible cultural heritage that have peace-making and peace-building at their core, bring communities, groups and individuals together and ensure exchange, dialogue and understanding among them. States Parties shall further endeavour to fully realize the contribution that safeguarding activities make to the construction of peace.
     

VI.4.1 Social cohesion and equity

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize and promote the contribution of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage to social cohesion, overcoming all forms of discrimination and strengthening the social fabric of communities and groups in an inclusive way. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to give particular attention to those practices, expressions and knowledge that help communities, groups and individuals to transcend and address differences of gender, colour, ethnicity, origin, class and locality and to those that are broadly inclusive of all sectors and strata of society, including indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities and members of marginalized groups.
     

VI.4.2 Preventing and resolving disputes

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution that intangible cultural heritage can make towards the prevention of disputes and peaceful conflict resolution. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at demonstrating expressions, practices and representations of intangible cultural heritage as contributors to dispute prevention and peaceful conflict resolution;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to:
        
        1. 
           support such expressions, practices and representations;
           
        2. 
           integrate them into public programmes and policies;
           
        3. 
           reduce their vulnerability during and in the aftermath of conflicts;
           
        4. 
           consider them, as fully as possible, as complements to other legal and administrative mechanisms of dispute prevention and peaceful conflict resolution.
           

VI.4.3 Restoring peace and security

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to take full advantage of the potential role of intangible cultural heritage in the restoration of peace, reconciliation between parties, re-establishment of safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        foster scientific studies and research methodologies, including those conducted by the communities and groups themselves, aimed at understanding how intangible cultural heritage can contribute to restoring peace, reconciling parties, re-establishing safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals;
        
     2. 
        adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to integrate such intangible cultural heritage into public programmes and policies aimed at the restoration of peace, reconciliation between parties, re-establishment of safety and security, and recovery of communities, groups and individuals.
        

VI.4.4 Achieving lasting peace and security

170. 
     States Parties shall endeavour to recognize, promote and enhance the contribution that safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of communities, groups and individuals makes to the construction of lasting peace and security. To that end, States Parties are encouraged to:
     
     1. 
        ensure that their safeguarding efforts fully include and recognize the intangible cultural heritage of indigenous peoples, migrants, immigrants and refugees, people of different ages and genders, persons with disabilities, and members of vulnerable groups;
        
     2. 
        take full advantage of the contribution of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage to democratic governance and human rights by ensuring the widest possible participation of communities, groups and individuals;
        
     3. 
        achieve the peace-building potential of safeguarding efforts that involve intercultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity.
        

DECISION 10.COM 14.b

The Committee,

1. 
   Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/14.b,
   
2. 
   Recalling Resolution 4.GA 5 and Decisions 7.COM 13.a, 8.COM 13.b and 9.COM 13.c,
   
3. 
   Recommends to the General Assembly to approve the amendments to the Operational Directives, as annexed to this decision.
   
   ANNEX
   

30.	The Evaluation Body shall submit to the Committee an evaluation report that includes a recommendation: to inscribe or not to inscribe the nominated element on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, or to refer the nomination to the submitting State(s) for additional information; to select or not to select the proposed programme, project or activity as a best safeguarding practice, or to refer the proposal to the submitting State(s) for additional information; or to approve or not to approve the international assistance request greater than US$25,000, or to refer the request to the submitting State(s) for additional information.
[31 to 34]	No change.
35.	After examination, the Committee decides: whether or not an element shall be inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding or on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity or whether the nomination shall be referred to the submitting State for additional information; whether or not a programme, project or activity shall be selected as a best safeguarding practice, or whether the proposal shall be referred to the submitting State for additional information; or whether or not an international assistance request greater than US$25,000 shall be approved, or whether the proposal shall be referred to the submitting State for additional information.
36.	Nominations, proposals or requests that the Committee decides not to inscribe, select, or approve, or to refer to the submitting State for additional information, may be resubmitted to the Committee for examination during a following cycle, after having been updated and supplemented.
37.	A decision by the Committee to refer a nomination, proposal or request to the submitting State for additional information does not imply or guarantee that the element will be inscribed, the proposal selected or the request approved in the future. Any subsequent resubmission must fully demonstrate that the criteria for inscription, selection or approval are satisfied.

DECISION 10.COM 14.c

The Committee,

1. 
   Having examined document ITH/15/10.COM/14.c,
   
2. 
   Recalling Article 9 of the Convention and Chapter III.2.2 of the Operational Directives,
   
3. 
   Further recalling Decision 9.COM 14,
   
4. 
   Recommends to the General Assembly to approve the amendments to paragraph 98 of the Operational Directives, as annexed to this decision.
   
   ANNEX
   

III	No change.
III.2	No change.
III.2.2	No change.
98.	Requests for accreditation shall be prepared by using the Form ICH-09 (available at www.unesco.org/culture/ich or on request from the Secretariat) and shall include all the information requested and only that information. Requests shall be received by the Secretariat by 30 April of odd-numbered years for examination by the Committee at its ordinary session in that same year.