The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was established within the context of the 32nd session of the UNESCO General Conference of 2003, and became effective in April 2006. So far, the convention has been ratified by 148 states (October 2012).

Austria was made a State Party on July 9, 2009.

The following deliberations have contributed to the creation of the convention:

• the importance of the intangible cultural heritage as a mainspring of cultural diversity and a guarantee of sustainable development
• the deep-seated interdependence between the intangible cultural heritage ant the tangible cultural and natural heritage
• processes of globalization, social transformation and intolerance as threats to the intangible cultural heritage
• the universal will and the common concern to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of humanity
• the appreciation of the importance of communities, groups and individuals for the production, safeguarding, maintenance and recreation of the intangible cultural heritage
• the need to build greater awareness, especially among the younger generations, of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage and of its safeguarding
• the invaluable role of the intangible cultural heritage as a factor in bringing human beings closer together and ensuring exchange and understanding among them

• The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
• Operational Directives (June 2008)