The Vietnamese delegation attend the 9th General Assembly of the member countries of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Photo: nhandan.vn

Out of a total of 12 countries elected as alternate members, there are four in the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh.

The voting was within the framework of the 9th General Assembly of the member states of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Convention 2003), in Paris, France.

The 24-member Intergovernmental Committee’s core functions are to promote the objectives of the Convention, provide guidance on best practices and make recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. The Committee examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programmes and projects. The Committee is also in charge of granting international assistance.

Vietnam is already a member of UNESCO Executive Board and of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Now becoming a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage provides another opportunity for Vietnam to contribute more to major programs and orientations of UNESCO.