This working group reflected on how NGOs could contribute to develop alternate, lighter ways of sharing safeguarding experiences in the framework of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention.
The Gender and intellectual property rights working forum of the NGO Forum of UNESCO therefore seeks rightly to work within the context of the NGO Forum, collaborate with the UNESCO ICH Secretariat and all stakeholders to give a sustainable gender and intellectual property rights meaning, interpretation, integration and mainstreaming balance.
The Working Group on ICH and Research organized at 12COM in Jeju a short symposium on the topic of challenges in inventorying ICH, like for instance talking about community involvement in the safeguarding process. During future meetings it will further elaborate on the role of researchers in safeguarding Intangible heritage, thus strengthening the cooperation between NGOs, as “heritage workers” in the field, and the research community. Valentina Zingari (vzingari@gmail.com)
The newly launched Working Group on Ethics The Ethics working group met on Thursday, December 7th at 12h30 during 12COM. The aim was to reflect upon a proposed specific ethical code for the NGOs sent previously to the Forum members, as well as to start a discussion on the actions that NGOs could do in regards to Ethics. Marc Jacobs from FARO started the meeting with a very enlightening presentation on the 12 ethical principles of the 2003 Convention and on one inter alia role for the NGOs, namely to work on the Convention’s website providing good examples of situations where ethics has been (or could have been) of great use. Antoine Gauthier explained afterwards the draft code of ethics for NGOs, based on UNESCO’s one. The major outcomes of the discussion that followed was that the code should rather be “principles”, that we should continue to work on the document for the next meeting in order for the Forum members to eventually accept it formally, and to work with the Secretariat of the Convention in order to activate the website section. Antoine Gauthier (direction@patrimoinevivant.qc.ca)
The Working Group addressed the use of IT for the safeguarding of ICH and to improve the work of the Accredited NGO´sActions.
The Working Group for more balanced geographical representation of accredited NGOs was established on 19th of December 2020 during the fifteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Alain Muneean (alaintdp@myt.mu) Diana Teresa Gutiérrez (diana.embodying@gmail.com)
The purpose of this working group is, in particular, to consider how best to implement and use the Global Results Framework of the Convention, particularly in the preparation of periodic reports, but also throughout national or local safeguarding plans that incorporate evaluation objectives to varying degrees.The working group may eventually evolve to an ICH measurement advisory group to develop and share specific expertise in support of States Parties, NGOs, communities and other relevant stakeholders, including through reflection or training sessions. Ananya Bhattacharya (ananya@banglanatak.com)