UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

07/01/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/01/2024 11:15

Introductory training workshop on the 2003 Convention for UNESCO Category 2 Centre in Sharjah

The training workshop aimed to provide participants with essential concepts and methods of the 2003 Convention. It focused on the community-based inventorying and safeguarding of living heritage, as well as relevant policy-makingin this area. The training drew expertise from two UNESCO category two centers: the Centro Regional para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de América Latina (CRESPIAL)and the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region(ICHCAP), under the auspices of UNESCO. These centers shared their successful practices in implementing tangible safeguarding strategies, making them accessible and applicable.

The five-day training workshop, facilitated by UNESCO-trained experts Dr Hani Hayajnehand Mrs Ebtisam Alwehaibi, aimed to strengthen the implementation of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Arab states and Africa.

The workshop aimed to build participants' skills and raise their awareness of the Center's mission to safeguard intangible cultural heritage at both local and international levels. We also emphasized the need to develop a strategic and operational plan to implement the expected objectives, drawing from the experiences of other UNESCO international centers in Korea, China, and Latin America.

A special focus was placed on strengthening international and regional networks for the exchange of information and knowledge, developing educational programs on intangible cultural heritage at local, national, and regional levels, and creating long-term and short-term projects, programs, and activities that contribute to building the capabilities of Arab States in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and promoting sustainable development prospects

Dr. Hani Hayajneh

Mrs Ebtisam Alwehaibiadded: "The dedicated staff acquired knowledge to develop strategic plans that will propel their mission beyond local frontiers to all Arab states."

In December 2021, UNESCO and the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement to establish the International Centre for Capacity Building in Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Arab States in Sharjah. This new Category 2 Centre, under the auspices of UNESCO, is hosted by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage in its headquarters, following the decision taken by the UNESCO General Conference.

The objectives of the Centre are to contribute to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and the implementation in the Arab States of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by supporting the promotion of the Convention, strengthening institutional capacities and increasing the participation of communities, groups and individuals in safeguarding their living heritage. It also aims to raise awareness of and ensure respect for intangible cultural heritage in the Arab States and foster regional and international cooperation, including South-South collaboration.

In February 2022, the Center hosted Capacity-building training on periodic reporting in the Arab States for the Arab focal points responsible for periodic reporting. The following year, in September 2023, the Center was involved in hosting a training of trainers' workshopfor a new generation of facilitators from Africa and the Arab States on core concepts, methodologies, and mechanisms of the 2003 Convention.

Through these initiatives, UNESCO affirms its dedication to assisting member states in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through various capacity-building efforts.