07.07.2022
Uzbekistan for the first time became a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, with 105 countries out of 180 voting for it.
Uzbekistan was elected a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at the eighth session of the General Assembly of the Member States of the Convention "On the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage" in Paris, the press service of the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage reported.
Uzbekistan was elected to the committee for 2022−2026.
In the second UNESCO regional electoral group (Eastern European countries and some CIS countries) there were five candidates for two vacated places — Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia and Estonia.
The largest number of countries voted for Uzbekistan — 105. Votes in favor of other competing states were distributed in the following order: Slovakia (94 - also elected to the second vacant place), Estonia (69), Bulgaria (26), Bosnia and Herzegovina (9).
In his speech, the representative of the Uzbek side expressed gratitude to the states that voted for Uzbekistan and assured of its readiness to make a significant contribution to the promotion of the convention at the national, regional and global levels.
A presentation of Uzbekistan's efforts to preserve and enhance the intangible cultural heritage of the country was held. "The attention of the delegates was drawn to the proposals put forward as part of the reform of the Constitution, in terms of expanding state support for measures to protect and promote cultural heritage," the message says.
The main tasks of the intergovernmental committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible cultural Heritage are to promote the goals of the convention and best practices and to develop recommendations on measures for the protection of intangible cultural heritage.
The committee considers requests from member states for the inclusion of intangible heritage in the list, as well as proposals for programs and projects. The Committee is also responsible for providing international assistance.
Preparations for the implementation of the convention are carried out by the intergovernmental committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and include, in particular, the development of a set of operational instructions and a plan for the use of the resources of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund provided for in Article 25 of the Convention. It submits these documents to the General Assembly for approval.
To date, the UNESCO Convention is supported by 180 states. Uzbekistan joined it in 2008.
It should be recalled that currently 10 national and multinational elements with the participation of Uzbekistan are included in the of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative List, including shashmak, pilaf cooking traditions, Navruz holiday, Khorezm lazgi dance and the art of bakhshi.
