China was elected member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at the 7th session of the General Assembly of the State Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on June 6, 2018.
China was elected with 123 votes and will serve the Committee from 2018 to 2022. Yu Qun, member of the leadership of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, led the Chinese delegation on-site.
The Committee is composed of 24 States Parties, with such core functions as implementing resolutions of the General Assembly, revising operational directives of the 2003 Convention, examining nominations, proposals and requests for inscription, selection and approval, as well as periodic reports submitted by States Parties, preparing draft plan for the use of the resources of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund.
The General Assembly renewed half of the Committee members. Along with China, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Poland, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Cameron, Djibouti, Togo and Kuwait were also elected.
China has been actively involved in the implementation of the 2003 Convention since its ratification in 2004. It served in the Committee for two terms. China has initiated and developed various exchanges and cooperation in the field of intangible cultural heritage at the bilateral, regional and international levels with UNESCO and States Parties, which demonstrates China's expertise and solemn commitment to the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Furthermore, the Chinese government established the International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia and Pacific Region under the Auspices of UNESCO (CRIHAP, category 2 center) in Beijing. With its training function, the Center aims to delivering the global capacity building strategy of UNESCO as well as enhancing the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage for the States Parties.
