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ICH Safeguarding Efforts in the Asia-Pacific > South Asia

ICH Safeguarding Efforts in the Asia-Pacific

Information on ICH safeguarding system, policy, organizations, and pending issues

ICHCAP Field Survey Report on ICH Safeguarding Efforts in the South Asian Countries

Based on the ICHCAP Field Survey on Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in some South Asian countries (2010–2013), this summary provides a brief overview on the ICH situation in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka . The summary focuses mainly on ICH safeguarding systems, safeguarding policies, and ICH inventories as well as on pending issues and the urgent safeguarding needs of these countries. Moreover, information on the main entities in charge of ICH safeguarding and opinions of each country on the issue of community involvement are provided. To give a quick overview these countries’ participation in ICH safeguarding at the international level, some additional information related to UNESCO is specified as well. Some information on the ICH safeguarding status of Pakistan is updated, based on Periodic Report No.00794/Pakistan on the implementation of the Convention and on the status of elements inscribed on the RL submitted to UNESCO on December 2012. This survey report offers a large sample of the diverse ICH situations in South Asian countries. Each country has a different background on the issue of intangible heritage. Although all the participating countries are concerned about the threats facing ICH, most of the countries participating in the survey haven’t defined the ICH and haven’t established national ICH lists and/or ICH inventories.However, each country expresses a high degree of motivation and encouragement for safeguarding o ICH, sharing experiences, and cooperating internationally. A common point noticed among them is that they tend to pay more attention to traditional performing arts in comparison to other ICH domains. Apart from the main subject, information on the situation of intellectual property related to ICH safeguarding in each country is included. However, this issue is very briefly reflected, so it is necessary to go through the ICHCAP Field Survey on Intellectual Property Issues in the Process of ICH Information Building and Information Sharing (2011–2012) to obtain more comprehensive and concrete information on this topic.

Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Iran
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Turkey

Bangladesh

Ratified the ICH Convention in 2009; conducted survey in 2010
As of April 2013, has one element on the RL of UNESCO and no accredited NGOs

Summary
Safeguarding system & policy
Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory
Relevant Organisations
Meetings on Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Representative List of the ICH of Humanity
Living Human Treasures System (LHTS)
Pending issues & urgent needs on safeguarding of ICH
List of Co-researchers
Annex 1 | The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
Annex 2 | Photographs

Bhutan

Ratified the ICH Convention in 2005; conducted survey in 2010
As of April 2013, has one element on the RL of UNESCO and no accredited NGOs

Summary
Safeguarding System & Policy
Sample Inventory of ICH Elements
ICH Practitioners, Groups and Communities
Relevant Organizations
ICH Transmission System
Pending Issues and Urgent Needs
List of co-researchers
Annex 1 | Photographs
Annex 2 | Department of Database and Documentation of ICH Elements
Annex 3 | Reference Materials

India

Ratified the ICH Convention in 2005; conducted survey in 2013
As of December 2014, has eleven elements on the RL and twenty-eight accredited NGOs

Summary
Background
Safeguarding System & Policy
Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory
Relevant Organisations
Meetings on Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Scheme for Sustaining the Living and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India
Living Human Treasures System
Pending Issues
Conclusion
List of Co-researchers
Annex1 | Photographs
Annex2 | IGNCA Inventory on Intangible Cultural Heritage

Iran

Ratified the ICH Convention in 2006; conducted survey in 2012
As of December 2014, has ten elements on the RL and two accredited NGOs

Summary
Safeguarding System & Policy
Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory
Relevant Organizations
Achievements on ICH
Records of the Islamin Republic of Iran in International Inscriptions of ICH
Living Human Treasures System
Pending Issues and Urgent Needs on Safeguarding of ICH
List of Co-researchers
Annex | Photographs

Nepal

Ratified the ICH Convention in 2010; conducted survey in 2010
As of April 2013, has no elements on the ICH Lists of UNESCO and
no accredited NGOs

Summary
Safeguarding system & policy
Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory
Relevant Organisations
Meetings on Intangible Cultural Heritage
Intangible cultural heritage in Nepal
Profiles of selected intangible cultural heritage of Nepal
Pending issues & urgent needs regarding the safeguarding of ICH
List of Co-researchers
Annex 1 | Preliminary Study
Annex 2 | Project Introduction
Annex 3 | A Country Report
Annex 4 | Photographs

Pakistan

Ratified the ICH Convention in 2005; conducted survey in 2011
As of April 2013, has one element on the RL of UNESCO and no accredited NGOs
Submitted its periodic report on the implementation of the Convention and status of
elements inscribed on the RL to UNESCO in December 2012