Monaco participates in the 19th session of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Committee

Mme Séverine DUSAINTPERE, Deputy Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, represented the Principality of Monaco at the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which took place in Asunción, Paraguay, from December 2 to 7, 2024.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Santiago PEÑA PALACIOS, President of the Republic of Paraguay, and Mrs. Audrey AZOULAY, Director-General of UNESCO.
This session led to the inscription of 63 new cultural elements, bringing the total to 788 cultural practices that form the core of UNESCO’s living heritage.
Among these inscriptions are the know-how of Parisian roofers and zinc workers, and ornamental artisans for France, as well as the fairground culture for Belgium and France, highlighting the values of sharing, cultural diversity, and social cohesion found in living heritage and the need to preserve it.

Several multinational files, representing traditions carried by communities that transcend borders, were also inscribed, such as “Henna: rituals, aesthetics, and social practices” by the United Arab Emirates and 15 other countries.
Furthermore, the inscription of certain elements in conflict situations provided a perspective on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, focusing on resilience and reconstruction. This was notably the case for “pysanka,” the Ukrainian art of decorating eggs, and the “tradition of making Nablus soap” in Palestine.

For reference, intangible cultural heritage, or “living heritage,” includes living traditions or expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed down to future generations, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, and festive events, knowledge and practices related to nature and the universe, or knowledge and skills necessary for traditional crafts. 183 states, including the Principality of Monaco, are parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, adopted on October 17, 2003. Monaco contributes to the Fund for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

For more information: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee 2024