News

Representatives of the ICH NGO Forum took part in the UNESCO Mondiacult cultural policy conference held in Barcelona from 29 September to 1 October. During the conference, the Executive Board of the Forum presented their statement advocating for a standalone culture goal in the post-2030 agenda and stronger recognition of…

Friday 19 and Saturday 20 September 2025 Italy, Verona - Polo Universitario Santa Marta The International Forum of Ludic Culture with the Symposium "Tocatì, a shared heritage", celebrates this year an exceptional edition of the Festival, dedicated to the Māori of New Zealand! In the history of Tocatì this is…

Traduction française ci-dessous ICH NGO Forum Symposium 2025 Leaving No-One Behind: Intangible Cultural Heritage and Inclusion with Emphasis on Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs Date: 7 December 2025 Location: New Delhi, India Concept Note Context In today’s geopolitical climate of rising global polarization and uncertainty, intangible cultural heritage (ICH)—the practices, representations,…

The fifth international Kaustinen Intangible Cultural Heritage Seminar Music on the Move – Migration, Resilience and Identity on 12 July will focus on the theme of migration, particularly from the perspective of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. The seminar program handles the questions related to significance of music and musical heritage…

“Look at heritage as the witness of our humanity” (Nahla Emam, Egypt) From 4 to 6 June 2025, Castel Capuano in Naples hosted UNESCO’s Second Conference on Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century, co-organized by the Government of Italy and UNESCO. This pivotal gathering built upon the “Spirit of Naples”…

Dear 2025 JIAPICH Applicants, Thank you once again for your interest and participation in the 7th edition of the JIAPICH. We were honored to receive an unprecedented number of applications from across the globe — the highest in the history of the awards. It is a strong testament to the…

It is with deep sorrow that we learned of the passing of Kristin Kuutma. Kristin was a pivotal figure in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage and left an indelible mark on the 2003 Convention from its very beginnings. A renowned anthropologist, professor at the University of Tartu, holder of…

(Click here for the french version) Wednesday, 16 April 2:00–3:30 PM CET (Zoom link) The ICH NGO Forum has been involved in the Culture 2030 Goal Campaign since 2023. As the campaign advances its aim of securing a stand-alone goal for culture in the post-Agenda 2030 framework, it is essential that…

Summary Drawing on extensive ethnographic engagement with the social world of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, this Element explores the mainstreaming of sustainable development principles in the heritage field. It illustrates how, while deeply entwined in the UN standardizing framework, sustainability narratives are expanding…

Based on the Jeonju Declaration on the Protection of ICH adopted by the first international intangible heritage decree in 2017, the Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage (JIAPICH) aims to encourage the model safeguarding practices of ICH in the global community regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, race, age,…

Dear NGO members, The Electoral Board is pleased to announce the call for candidates for the election of one member from the Africa region to join the ICH NGO Forum Executive Board, which was elected in December 2024. In compliance with the electoral rules, this election aims to select one…

The Working Group on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), Climate Change, and the Environment of the ICH NGO Forum, that brings together 264 NGOs accredited by UNESCO under the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, invites researchers, practitioners, and community members to submit abstracts for articles to…

The Centre for Agrarian History (CAG) and the Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (KIEN) invite European researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and heritage professionals to participate in an interdisciplinary workshop in Leuven (Belgium) on 19-20 June 2025. We hope to foster connections that could lead to new initiatives and partnerships focused on environmental resilience across Europe.…

The new ICH NGO Forum Executive Board members were elected in Asuncion on 3rd December 2024. In compliance with the Electoral Rules, the elections this year were aimed at electing members for three electoral regions (Africa, Asia Pacific, and Western Europe & North America). According to the Electoral Board’s decision a…