Paris, 18 September 2026
The Chairperson of the ICH NGO Forum, Mr. Matti Hakamäki, took part this week in the second international meeting on “Improving International Coordination and Response Effectiveness to Safeguard Culture in Emergencies” held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The meeting brought together UNESCO’s international partners in culture and humanitarian aid, along with the Organization’s Culture Sector, Secretariat, and Field Offices, to review progress made since the first partners’ meeting in September 2024 and to chart the way forward.
The gathering built on the lessons-learned and recommendations that emerged from that earlier meeting, which had examined gaps in international coordination across capacity-building, damage assessment, built heritage response, and the integration of culture into humanitarian planning. This year’s discussions focused on translating those recommendations into shared operational principles and more concrete coordination mechanisms for the culture sector.
The ICH NGO Forum’s participation reflected its ongoing commitment to ensuring that intangible cultural heritage and community-based safeguarding remain visible within broader discussions on culture in crisis and conflict settings. The Forum will continue to follow this process closely and looks forward to sharing further updates as the coordination framework develops.
