First report on intangible cultural heritage to be submitted to UN

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has started preparations to submit a periodic report of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage to the United Nations for the first time.

The UN General Assembly had endorsed the Convention on October 17, 2003.

Nepal ratified the convention in 2010 that had come into effect since 2006. Six years after the approval, the member-nation was obliged to submit the report and Nepal was making necessary preparations for the same. Later, the UN changed the guidelines in regard to the reporting.

Chief of the Culture Division at the Ministry, Dr Suresh Shrestha said that the Ministry was going to submit the report this year as per the provision of submitting the report after six years of amendment to the guidelines.

The Ministry has organized a three-day national consultation workshop in the Capital from Sunday for the preparations of the report.

Three dozen representatives and experts from government and non-government sectors working in the field of intangible cultural heritage are participating in the workshop, said archaeological officer at the Ministry, Bhishma Baskota.

He informed that the report would be submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from June 15 onward.

By December 15, Nepal will submit the details of the works carried out in the intangible cultural heritage area to UNESCO.